The Red Swordsman: Slayer of Aincrad
by Mataras
Summary: In the world of Sword Art Online, Kirito suffered much on his own. But what if there had been another warrior just as skilled as he to help shoulder the burden of being a beater? The answer is named Mataras, who will fight alongside Kirito in Aincrad. And when the ones they love are held captive, they will fight as one to get them back, no matter the cost, in the land of Fiore.
1. Genesis

**Disclaimers on both Fairy Tail and the Sword Art Online franchises! I own nothing from any part of them!**

* * *

 **A/N: Happy 2016 to all that read this, be it in January or in December! The Swordsman is back for another round, and for those of you that have read the highly praised Toa of Aincrad edition of this story, please feel free to jump ahead to chapter seventeen, where the Fairy Tail elements will start to kick in!**

 **If you are joining my tales for the first time, then please, read the already-completed Aincrad arc that involves a unique OC named Mataras alongside Kirito and company! I look forward to greeting new readers with every chapter I release, and I hope that you grow to love this story as much as the last one! Either way, get that fire raging in your belly, and Link Start!**

* * *

Genesis

"Michael! You're up! Showtime!" My ears pricked in annoyance as Erak's voice touched them. I tried to ignore him, wanting to be left alone to my misery, but the bigger boy would not take silence for an answer. "Dude, you're not fooling anyone; I know you can hear me!"

"The prisoners of hell can hear you, and they are screaming over one another," I growled quietly to myself, hoping he would just go away. He did not.

"Get up!" the blond boy grinned as he grabbed me by the arm and hoisted me up, much to my aggravation. As soon as he got me standing, I stepped forward and behind him, using my leg as leverage and my hand to shove him in the chest so that he fell over. He hit the wooden ground with an audible _thump_ and looked up at me with a stupid grin on his face. "I knew you could hear me," he said as he got up.

"Leave me be," I scowled and tried to sit back down.

"Nope!" the other boy said cheerily. "Tybalt says you get the first go at SAO, and the launch is only ten minutes away!"

"Tybalt won our bet on Apocalypse," I snapped, still in a foul mood. "Let him have his fun. I'm not interested."

"Not interested? I call serious baloney on that, my friend," Erak laughed. "Come _on_ , man! You've been more excited about this than any of us all year! You nearly punched Tybalt out when he won the match!"

"You know why I am miserable!" I snarled, rounding on him. "Stop trying to pretend that nothing is wrong! My entire _world_ was just taken from me, Erak, and I'm supposed to pretend that everything is all fine and good?! It's not! Nothing can ever be well in this world again! Not without her!"

Erak was stunned into silence for a moment as I sat back down on my bed and closed my eyes. Eventually, he said, "Well, maybe things can't be right in this world, man. And I'm sorry, I really am. I know it's nowhere near as bad for us, but we all miss her too, you know. And… We just want to see you smile again, even once. I know she would have wanted to see you smile." With that, he up and left with the words, "The NerveGear is waiting for you when you want it. Maybe a new world is what you need."

"I need to die," I said bitterly as he left. "If only I could be someone other than Michael… Perhaps then this pain could leave me… Or whatever is left of me." I sat there for several minutes before I got up of my own accord for the first time in days.

* * *

Through the black-lensed visor of the NerveGear helmet, I looked up at my friends, all of whom were smiling. "Let us know how it is in there once you get out, okay?" Daniel said as I closed my eyes.

"It probably won't be anything worth discussing," I muttered as I closed my eyes. "Link, start." And suddenly, I was rushing down a tunnel filled with blue light and lightning until I landed in a dark room where I could see only myself and nothing else.

Then a voice boomed around me, distinctly female, and somewhat friendly. "Welcome to Sword Art Online!" the voice said. "Your virtual reality experience will begin as soon as you have created your avatar." I rolled my eyes, wishing I could skip this part of the entrance, but I knew it had to be done.

I spent the next few minutes creating an avatar with similar build to my body in real life. When it came time for my hair to be designed, I set it to be even longer than my real body's hair length, allowing it to completely cover the left side of my face instead of just partially obscuring it. The color was blood red and my eyes were set to be maroon. I chose swords as my primary weapon class and finally logged.

"Good luck, Player!" the voice said once I had created my name. "Be safe out there!" Then I was falling again, this time down a tunnel where colors of every shade rushed past me in a dizzying display of brilliance. I 'fell' for a good for ten seconds before I finally had the sensation of standing on cobblestones underneath me.

I opened my eyes to be greeted by the sight of the virtual world, and many thousands of players that had come in to have a good time. We seemed to have been spawned in a coliseum in a place called the Town of Beginnings. I looked down at my new body, vision slightly obscured by my lengthened hair, before nodding in satisfaction and heading out, ignoring the people around me.

I looked around town for a little bit and began to wander through the sea of people, many of them chattering excitedly to one another about their new surroundings. Perhaps if _she_ had been with me, or at least waiting for my return, I might have taken more of an interest in my surroundings. But the only thing I paid any attention to was a small stall selling healing potions and basic weaponry.

I used my starting amount of col to pay for five health potions, as I knew I might need them later on. When I went to confirm that they had made it safely in my inventory, however, I noticed an item that I had not purchased. Using the examine function of my menu, I was intrigued to see that it was a rolled-up scroll. I used the summon function and unrolled the scroll as I walked into a back alley for some privacy. Up ahead, there were to young men, one with a straight sword on his back and the other with a sabre at his waist, but I paid them no heed. What held my interest was the scroll I had discovered, or more specifically, the words on it.

* * *

I spent much of the next few hours testing out my unique skill, finding that I liked it very much indeed. I stayed away from other people as much as possible as to avoid attracting attention and avoid having to interact with anyone at all. After nearly four hours of battling boars and other slimes, I looked up at the virtual sun, which was beginning to set.

Sighing quietly to myself, I decided that it was time to leave the world of Aincrad. _Blast you, Erak,_ I thought as I opened the menu. _Blast all of you. I was actually starting to have a good time…_ I was thinking of how to brush them all off convincingly and return to my isolation when I hit the logout button.

Or rather, where the logout button was supposed to be. My finger tapped the collapse button, and I was back at the main menu. Frowning, I opened the options menu again, looking more closely at my options, searching for the logout button- and not finding it.

 _A bug_ , I thought sourly. _Today is just my lucky day, is it not?_

Before I could open the Game Master Message option, I heard a loud bell gonging in the distance, and some instinct made me freeze. It gonged twice more, and then I was swallowed by a blue light, despite my angry protests.

When I could see again, I whipped out my sword and looked around to see who my enemy was. I was surprised when, instead of seeing a boss of some kind, I was surrounded by the multitude of players I had spent the day ignoring, all of them looking shocked and uncertain. I sheathed my blade just in time to become aware that the gonging had not stopped, and seemed to be coming from above.

I looked up at the sky to see a red panel with the word WARNING written on it. A young girl tried to sidle up to me as she asked, "Wh-what's that?"

"Well, lady, I do believe the locals call it a _hexagon_ …?" I said without looking at her. "I am not entirely certain I'm pronouncing that right. Why don't I get back with you one that?" I ignored the profanity she offered as she stormed off, instead choosing to pay attention to the fact that the one hexagon was now multiplying into hundreds of thousands that stretched out to cover the coliseum that they had all spawned in at the beginning.

A cold stone of dread settled in my belly as what could only be described as blood began to drip down from between the panels and coalesce into a hooded form laced with lightning. When the last drop had fallen, a massive phantom was hanging over them, a creature with no face and shape, save for the massive red-and-golden-threaded robe it wore, along with a pair of white gloves that outlined its hands. Black smoke breathed out from where the head would have been, and a deep, echoing voice spoke.

"Attention, players," it said. "I welcome you… to my world." The players around me began to mutter among themselves in anticipation. Was this an event? Part of the launch? I ignored them and focused solely on the phantom above.

"My name is Akihiko Kayaba," he said in his sonorous, echoing voice. "And as of this moment, _I_ am in control of this world." My stomach clenched tighter at those words. "I'm sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your main menus," he said, ignoring the increased chatter. "The logout button." As if to demonstrate, he pulled out a giant menu and scrolled through it to reveal that there was indeed no such function present.

But what they all heard next only made me angry. "I can assure you, this is not a defect in the game." He paused to let it sink for a second, then said, "I repeat: this is not a defect. This is how Sword Art Online was designed to be. You cannot log out of SAO. And no one from the outside may attempt to remove the NerveGear from your head. If someone from the outside attempts to remove the NerveGear rig from you head, it will discharge a microwave signal into your skull, and end your life." I clenched my fists and ground my teeth in anger as the implications of where he was going began to sink in.

 _We can't get out without his say-so_ , I thought, frustrated. _We have to do what he says- we are nothing more than his puppe- No!_ I closed my eyes as painful memories flooded my mind, the last time I had felt so helpless. _No! I will be beholden to no mortal man! Never again!_

Before I could shout my rage while others began to voice their disbeliefs and try to leave the coliseum, Kayaba spoke again. "Despite my warning, the friends and families of several of the players have attempted to remove the NerveGear- an unfortunate decision, to say the least." He spoke as though he were discussing the weather in Alaska- bored and dismal. The tone infuriated me to the point where I began to shake with anger. "As a result, the game now has two-hundred-thirteen less players than when it began. They have been deleted from both the real and virtual world."

 _Death… upon all of those unfortunate souls…_ I thought, my vision beginning to pulse red. _For the sake of…_ what _?!_

"As you can see," the phantom-Kayaba said as multiple windows displaying the news of the incident appeared around him, seemingly in response to people's continued disbelief. "Media outlets have round-the-clock coverage of everything… including the deaths." He enlarged several that showed the body count and crying family members. "At this point, it is safe to say that the likelihood of the removal of a NerveGear is minimal at best. I hope this brings you a little comfort as you try to clear the game."

The last sentence stopped my rage cold. _Clear the game?_

"It is important that you remember the following," he said. "There is no longer any way to revive someone within the game. If your HP hits zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system. And the NerveGear will simultaneously destroy your brain.

"There is only one way for a player to escape now," Kayaba said after a long moment of dead silence from the crowd. "You must clear the game. Right now, you are all gathered on floor one, the lowest level of Aincrad. If you get through the dungeon and defeat the boss, you may advance to the next floor. Defeat the boss on floor one hundred, and you will clear the game."

 _Now_ the crowd was riled up. "Why should we believe anything you say?!" a random player demanded.

"All one hundred floors!" another shouted. "Are you friggin' insane?! That's impossible! Not even the beta testers made it that high!"

"Ignoring them, Kayaba continued on to say, "Last, but not least, I've placed a little present in the item storage of every player. Please… have a look." The last three words had what I could have sworn were a challenging tone in them.

With sharp, angry movements, I opened my menu and jabbed at the first item I saw. Suddenly, I was holding a mirror that reflected the virtual face of Mataras. Looking up, I was about to hurl the item at Kayaba, but then a blue flash of light enveloped me, much like a teleport effect, but I did not feel myself moving.

When the glow had faded, I looked to see that I was still holding the mirror. But something was different. Instead of the face of Mataras the Swordsman, I saw the face of Michael the Coward. My brain suddenly stopped working as I realized that Kayaba had just taken away my only armor against myself.

"Right now, you're probably wondering why?" Kayaba's voice snapped me out of my stupor, and I looked up at him, despite myself. "Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of NerveGear, and inventor of Sword Art Online, do such a thing?" He paused, as if gathering his thoughts. "Ultimately, my goal was a simple one. The reason I created Sword Art Online was to create a world of my design. As you can see, I have achieved my goal." I grabbed the mirror with both hands and nearly enough force to shatter it in my fury.

 _You dare to play God?!_ I seethed in silence.

"This marks the end of the tutorial, and the official launch of Sword art Online," Kayaba said, and I had the feeling that he was about to leave. "Players, I wish you the best of luck." What struck me the most in that moment, however, was not that he began to disappear, vanishing into scarlet smoke, abandoning us to our fates. It wasn't the screams that filled the air. It wasn't the angry shouts, the wails of despair that held my attention. It was that Kayaba seemed sincere in his closing statement.

I closed my eyes, and allowed my arms to fall to my sides with deliberation, one hand still holding the mirror that had destroyed the image I wanted, the vision of what I wished to be. Then, slowly but surely, a smile crawled across my face. The first smile since the death of Victoria. And it was not a friendly one.

I opened my eyes, and in one quick motion, shattered the mirror by casting it on the ground with murderous force. I drew my sword and pointed it upward as I looked up at the afternoon sky, which was now free of the red hexagons.

"Trap me in here will you?" I said. "Let's just see if you're so high and mighty when you're at the end of my sword, Kayaba?" Then I turned and ran out of the town, shoving people out my way, the smile of a dragon on the hunt still on my lips.

 _I will live by the law of the sword,_ I vowed as a wolf spawned a distance in front of me. "Get," I snarled as I readied my sword. "Get out." The wolf charged at me. "Of my." The mob leapt at me, ready to tear out my throat with its teeth. " _WAY_!" I slashed it in half perfectly, destroying it and not even pausing to check my drop list.

 _I will die by the sword, or_ he _will, once I meet him, whether in this world or the next,_ I thought as I kept running. _That is the only way this world ends! Death!_ Looking up to the sky, I roared with power of the dragon sleeping within me.

* * *

 **Kirito: Hey, readers! Just thought I'd let you all know, one of the readers' favorite parts of the last edition of this story was the omake's that we did together. In the original, they didn't start until after we had gotten out of SAO, but Mataras thought that it would be fun to include it all the way through this time.**

 **Mataras: Correct, and although some people have read my tale before, I believe that at least some of them will read through the Aincrad arc again for old time's sake. And whether you are an old friend or a frsh reader, there is something for everyone to enjoy in a link set up on my profile page- an anime-style intro video made just for this story. Check it out if you're interested, my videos are usually well-received.**

 **Asuna: Old times sake, Mataras?**

 **Mataras: Hey, I spent nearly a year writing _every day_ on the Toa of Aincrad! As the writer, I'd say that's a long time!**

 **Asuna: Okay, chill out! No need to get all hotheaded on me.**

 **Kirito: Yeah, uh... that's not really gonna be possible about eighteen chapters from now...**

 **Asuna: Why not?**

 **Mataras: Wait and find out, though I'm sure some of you can guess what will be happening. But for now, read on if you liked this chapter, and be sure to leave a review! I welcome criticism openly, as I wish to be an ever-growing writer!**


	2. The Law of the Sword

**A/N: Ah, I remember thinking about how the original Red Swordsman was going to be very last series I wrote here... How wrong was I?! Enjoy and don't hesitate to leave a review!  
**

* * *

The Law of the Sword

Kirito finished adding Asuna to his party before he noticed another person sitting alone, apart from the others. They were dressed in a black-and-red cloak, and they stood a stiff as a statue. Looking at the girl beside him, he asked, "Hey, do you mind if I ask that guy to join us?"

"Not really," she replied. "The more in our party, the better chance we have a surviving this boss raid, I guess." And with that, she up and left, clearly indicating that the choice was his to make.

Kirito shrugged and walked over to the person. From the build, he could tell that the player was male, but like Asuna, his face was shadowed by his cowl. "Hey there," he said as he extended his hand.

The other player looked up slightly, but not enough to reveal his features. He shook Kirito's hand readily enough, but he did not speak. Since he seemed to be the silent type, Kirito pulled open his menu and said, "So… Do you want to join up in a party? It's only going to be for this round, if you're not comfortable with a group setting. But you heard-"

"Are you going to keep babbling, or are you going to send me an invite?" the other boy interrupted. His voice was somewhat deep and had a vibrant tone, leading Kirito to believe that this player might be a bit older than him. "Yes, I'll join you."

"Oh," Kirito said. He sent the invite, and the other player accepted. Another health bar appeared in Kirito's peripheral vision, along with the name 'Mataras'. Kirito was surprised to see that this player's level matched his own already.

"Kirito, is it?" Mataras asked. "So you'd be Japanese, then."

"Yeah," Kirito replied, somewhat startled that this player had figured out his ethnicity so quickly. In Aincrad, everyone sounded like they were speaking their own native language, due to a high-tech translator system. "And, Mataras? What is that, European?"

"I'd be American, if anything," Mataras replied. "But I'm living in Japan right now, and my name is Spanish origin. Although in the light of the nature of this game, I really wish I could change it now."

"Why's that?" Kirito prompted.

"It means 'you kill," Mataras replied dryly. "I wasn't planning on being a player killer or anything like that, but now if people see my name, they might get the wrong idea."

"Oh," Kirito said again, somewhat surprised. "But, wait, why are you telling me this if you're worried about people getting the wrong idea?"

"You asked," Mataras replied simply. "And you're the first person to want to interact with me without asking for some freebies. I figured I'd show a little gratitude." Standing up, he threw back the cowl on his cloak.

The pale face it revealed was no older than sixteen. The black hair was straight and lengthy, partially obscuring his left eye. The jaw was strong, and the eyebrows thick. The nose was a little on the larger side, but not so much that it made the boy look ugly. The mouth was set in a firm line, and the serious eyes were dark brown- so dark as to nearly be black.

The way he stood showed that he knew how to carry himself properly, with his back straight and his chin slightly pointed upwards. He was of slim build, but there was no mistaking the look of confidence that he had about him. The sword on his back proved that he had every right to carry himself as such.

The sword was called a fakora, and it granted enough stat boosts to keep a player going strong until at least level five or so. It was only awarded for one quest on the first floor. When in the beta, Kirito had heard about it, but when he tried to go for it this time around, he had found that the quest was already completed.

This likely meant that Mataras was a beta tester as well, if he had been able to get ahold of the quest so quickly. Kirito was tempted to ask his new teammate about his player history, but decided against it. If he was wrong, with all the trouble that Kibaou was trying to stir up, he could very well lose a party member.

"Done looking?" Mataras said, snapping Kirito out of his thoughts.

"What?" he said. "Oh, yeah. Uh… So do you want to go get some lunch, or…?"

"I have a lunch already packed," Mataras replied. "I was gonna go do some more levelling before tomorrow's raid and eat on the way. Would you care to join me? And maybe that girl that you were talking to before? Asuna?"

"Hm… I can message her, but she didn't seem too interested in joining in any group activities," Kirito replied as he pulled up his message function on the menu. Mataras shrugged and waited for Kirito to finish his message before beginning to walk towards the field dungeon.

* * *

They didn't see Asuna until later that evening in the village again, after they had spent their afternoon levelling up and selling their spoils. Kirito and Mataras were easily able to adapt to the team fighting system. They quickly grew a mutual respect for one another, both as people and as swordsmen.

Mataras noticed that Kirito was warm and friendly, but he tended to avoid other people that were lower level than him. Not out of a sense of superiority, but out of a sense of isolation. He knew that beta testers weren't well-liked due to their natural advantages over the other players, so he seemed to want to avoid causing a scene.

Kirito, on the other hand, couldn't really figure Mataras out. Towards himself, Mataras was nice enough, even going so far as to share his lunch with him. But to the few other players that they ran into, he was nothing short of cold and barely cordial. And Kirito couldn't really understand why, but he decided that it didn't matter. After this boss raid, they would likely part ways and barely ever interact again. After all, they were both solo players.

And speaking of solo players, they both spotted Asuna sitting alone, away from the gathering of front liners. Mataras actually chuckled to himself as he said, "She stole my spot."

"What, you're gonna go kick her off of it?" Kirito grinned.

"No," Mataras replied. "I'm just going to see if she objects to us joining her."

"I thought you didn't like hanging around others," Kirito said as his partner began walking towards the girl.

"I don't like hanging around incompetent people," Mataras replied quickly. "And if she's made it this far on her own like you did, I'd hardly call her incompetent." He approached the girl silently and sat down a couple of feet away from her.

She eyed him warily as he pulled out a loaf of bread and began to eat it in silence. Kirito sighed and sat down between them, Asuna shifting away from them both a little more than necessary.

Noticing that she had the same meal as the two of them, Kirito realized how he could break the ice. "These things taste pretty good, don't they?" he said.

Asuna stopped her chewing and swallowed before cocking her head at Kirito. "You really think these taste good?" she asked.

"They do," Mataras answered, seeing where Kirito was going. "But Kirito taught me a trick to make it better." With that, he pulled out a jar from his inventory and handed it to Kirito. Tapping his finger on the lid, Mataras used the glowing residue that came off to spread a certain substance over his own biscuit.

Asuna's curiosity was piqued enough that she tried it herself. Kirito used the last of the item, causing the container to shatter into a number of polygons that quickly faded from existence. Copying Mataras' actions, she was surprised to find that her bread was now smeared with- "Butter?" she asked.

Kirito nodded and started munching down his dinner. Mataras just started eating without a word. Asuna looked at the bread for another moment, wondering if it might actually improve the plain flavor that had been her usual meals for nearly a month. She took a bite and chewed slowly, unaware of Mataras' eyes on her, waiting to see her reaction. To his surprise, she finished eating with great gusto, wolfing down the food faster than Kirito.

Asuna sighed with contentment. Even if it was a simple adjustment, that was easily the best food she'd had while in Aincrad. Mataras nodded approvingly to himself and finished eating his own dinner in silence.

Kirito, mistaking Mataras' silence for icy formality, tried to warm things up by saying, "So, Asuna. Would you like to know how to get more of that stuff?" He was prepared to explain that once you completed a certain quest, you could unlock the item in stores, but Asuna didn't give him the chance.

"No thanks," she said softly. "I really appreciate the offer, but I didn't come here to eat good food."

"Then why are you here?" The question came from Mataras, who kept his own gaze on the fountain in the town square. His tone was not hostile, but genuinely curious.

Asuna seemed to gather her thoughts before saying, "Because I want to stay true to who I am. I don't wanna lock myself away in the Town of Beginnings and slowly rot away. I want to stay me until the end of this game, even if the end is my death. That way I'll have beat this Death Game before it even begins."

Kirito could think of nothing to say to that, but he didn't expect what Mataras said next. "A noble idea," he said with a smile that to Kirito, seemed almost sad. "But before you go trying to stay the same, ask yourself two things: first, are you who want to be now? And second, even if your experiences in this world do change you against your will, is that necessarily a bad thing?"

"What are you talking about?" Asuna asked, turning sharply to the swordsman. "Everything about this game is evil- how could you suggest that any good might come out of it?"

"I'm older than I look," Mataras simply replied as he stood. "And I've lived long enough to know that even though some would mean certain things for evil, they can still be worked towards good." With that, he walked off to find an inn to spend the night at.

"He's older than he looks?" Asuna repeated. She turned to Kirito, who looked just as confused as she felt. "What does that mean? Everyone looks exactly like they do in the real world, right? The mirrors saw to that- didn't they?"

Kirito could only shrug his shoulders in response.

* * *

The next day, the raid party grouped up and set out to find the boss' lair. Asuna and Mataras both walked with their hoods up, making Kirito feel slightly out of place, but he didn't comment on the matter.

It turned out that Asuna had no real idea how to play in a party, so Kirito and Mataras walked her through the various strategies and commands that went into a party fight. They stayed a bit behind the main group to have a little privacy for themselves.

Once that was done, Asuna turned to Mataras and said, "Did you avoid using the mirror, Mataras?" Although his cowl was up, Asuna had the feeling that the other player had raised his eyebrow in an amused gesture at the question.

"No," he replied with a small smirk. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you only look a little older than me, so I was wondering about your comment last night," she admitted, a little nonplussed.

Mataras chuckled softly in response. "Appearance and age don't always move at the same pace," he said. "But it also depends on what kind of aging you're thinking about. For example, if you are referring to my biological age, then yes, I am as young as I look. But if you take into account the things that I have lived through, then you'd know that an old soul rests within this young body."

"So… Long story short, you've had a troubled childhood?" Kirito asked.

"Something like that," the cloaked swordsman replied.

"Am I ever going to get a straight answer from you?" Asuna demanded.

"Perhaps someday, when you earn it," Mataras replied, traces of amusement back in his voice. The tone annoyed his teammate, but she decided not to press the matter. It was clear that if Mataras didn't want to give an answer, he wasn't going to give one, no matter the person's status or demands.

* * *

After battling their way through the dungeon for a couple of hours, the party reached the boss room. Everyone took a short break time to check and make use of their inventory. Kirito, Asuna, and Mataras were positioned in the rearguard to provide backup and hold off the sentinels. If it came down to it, they were to attack the boss, should the first part of the plan go awry. Kirito wasn't sure if they were being treated as aces, or if they had just been snubbed because they were the smallest group.

But the time for wondering was over. Diabel, the raid leader, opened the doors and led the charge inside the room. At first the place was just a cold grey tone all around. But then the boss leaped down from its throne and let out a roar that shook the hall. The floors and walls seemed to respond to the sound, lighting up with myriad of colors of all kinds.

The boss was called Illfang the Kobold Lord, and as soon as it hit the floor, its armored minions began to spawn. The boss itself towered over all the players, measuring several meters in height. To Mataras, it looked like a big, fat, red kangaroo with an axe and a buckler.

Had this not been a life-and-death game, he would have laughed at the sight. But Diabel called his group into action, ordering them to take out the minions. Kirito moved forward in response to block the first blow from one of the mobs, deflecting it with a sword skill. He leaped backwards, calling Asuna out to switch in and stab the creature with her own skills.

Her speed and ferocity impressed both Kirito and his hooded companion- the tip of her rapier moved so fast, they could barely keep track of where she was stabbing her adversary. This combo alone was able to fell one of the minions, leaving Mataras to take the lead for the next monster to appear.

When it came, Mataras surprised both Asuna and Kirito by sliding under the enemy's blow instead of parrying it. Springing upwards, the young man slashed at his opponent, landing a critical hit on its face and killing it instantly. What surprised his teammates more than anything was that he had one-shot the monster without any skills being activated.

But there was no time to question his fighting style as he called for Kirito to switch in for the next minion. Casting aside their questions for now, Asuna and Kirito moved into position.

Nearly twenty minutes of fighting later, Illfang's last health bar dipped into the red zone, and the monster retreated briefly with a roar. As predicted by the guidebook, the monster cast aside his weapon and shield. But unlike the guidebook that Mataras had read, Illfang pulled out an odachi instead of a talwar.

Before he could warn the others though, Diabel was telling everyone to move aside. Mataras' eyes widened as he realized that the man intended to take on the boss alone. Before he could call out to the leader, though, someone beat him to it.

"No, don't!" Kirito shouted as Diabel activated a sword skill. "It's no good!"

His warning came too late. An odachi was longer in reach than a talwar, meaning that Illfang could attack from outside the range of Diabel's cavalry sword. The boss struck twice, faster than Diabel could anticipate. The second blow sent him flying next to Kirito's group.

Kirito trusted Asuna and Mataras to keep the sentinels off of him while he ministered to Diabel. "What the hell were you thinking?" he muttered as he tried to give Diabel a potion before his health ran out. To his shock, Diabel refused to take the item.

"You knew," he whispered to Kirito. "You were… a beta tester?"

"You're just like me, aren't you?" Kirito asked in response. "You were after the last attack bonus- the rare item."

Diabel gave a weak grin, his health points down to a shred. "Your friends there… You have to beat the boss… for everyone here…" His health bar disappeared. Then so did he.

Mataras' eyes widened in rage as he saw Diabel vanish. He had been a good leader, despite his underhanded attempt at trying to get the drop item that would no doubt be dropped should he defeat the boss. Of all the people that had to die, why did it have to be him?

 _Greed_ , he thought, pushing the other thoughts aside. _No matter how noble he appeared, he wanted to make himself stronger in the end, even if it meant doing something underhanded. Heh. You and I weren't so different, were we? I'm sorry Diabel. The least I can do is honor your last wish._

He and Asuna stood beside Kirito, weapons ready. Asuna's jaw was set, and her posture was radiating determination. Mataras' eyes blazed with anger at the Kobold Lord, and at the world from which it came. Kirito stood up and said, "You guys with me?"

"What does it look like?" Mataras growled menacingly, his glare fixed on the boss, which was now swatting the other players like flies.

"I'll go with you, yeah," Asuna added.

Kirito nodded and the three of them dashed forward. "Let's do this just like the minions!" he cried. "One of us counters, the others attack right after!"

"Who blocks?" Mataras asked just before they got in range.

"Me!" Kirito swung his blade to counter the odachi, moving in fast to get inside the range of the long weapon. When the weapon was knocked back, Asuna used her superior speed to get behind the boss and stab it multiple times while Mataras opened a large wound across the monster's chest.

When it attempted to retaliate, Mataras ducked the blow just in time. He noticed that the boss' health was almost completely gone, and he could land the final blow to end the fight then and there. Instead, he called out, "Switch!"

Not sure why he was doing this, Kirito switched in as Illfang spun around and slashed at Asuna. He missed killing her, but the blow shredded her cloak, dissolving it into polygons. This gave Kirito the perfect opportunity to land the final blow and destroy the first boss.

Letting out his war cry, Kirito swung his blade with all the power he could, laying open Illfang's back and causing it to glow brightly as its final health points depleted. The monster let out one last ear-splitting roar before shattering into thousands of blue and green shards.

The three victors hardly took notice of the fact that they had received a generous amount of col, nor the stat boosts that came from a double level-up, or even that the room had settled back to normal. They were all just too tired to care.

"That was some fine swordsmanship," a deep voice said, followed by a hand that helped Kirito rise from his slouched position. Mataras recognized Agil, the man that had spoken in the defense of the beta testers. "Today's victory is thanks to you three."

Kirito shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "We wouldn't have gotten this far without Diabel. He's the reason we're here."

"Then why'd you let him die, huh?!" a broken, angry voice shouted from the back of the room. The voice belonged to Kibaou, the man that had tried to pin the blame of the S.A.O. incident on the beta testers.

"What are you talking about, you fool?" Mataras asked in a low voice that still carried in the silence of the boss room.

"You heard me!" the man ranted. "Your partner saw what was coming! He knew the boss' attack pattern and weapon! So why didn't he tell us?!"

"Because this wasn't like the beta!" Kirito shouted back. Dead silence followed that particular comment. The young swordsman held his gaze at those that looked accusingly at him. Only those close to him saw his brow sheen with a nervous sweat.

"That's right," Kirito said, feigning confidence. "I _was_ in the beta test. And even though I may not have known that Illfang was going to have that weapon this time around, I definitely knew the skill set that would come with it.

"Why? Because unlike the most of the other testers, I actually knew what I was doing to begin with. Most of the other people that scored a slot in the beta were so green, they didn't even know how to level up. Heh, you guys are even better than they were." As he was speaking, Kirito was actually advancing on his accuser, causing Kibaou to eye him warily.

"But me? I'm nothing like those guys," Kirito was actually managing to imitate an evil grin. "During the beta, I made it to floors higher than anyone else. _That's_ how I knew the boss' attack patterns- because I've fought monsters on higher levels with even better skill sets and weapons." Kirito was now only a few feet away from Kibaou, which is where he stopped walking forward.

"I know a bunch of other things," Kirito added. "More than you can imagine- more than any info broker." Now he waited to see what the reaction from the others would be.

"If that's true…" Kibaou snarled. "Then you're worse than a beta tester- you're a goddamn cheater, that's what you are!"

Others began to take up the call as Mataras joined Kirito in the case of a fight. "Cheater!" someone called.

"Hacker!" cried another.

"He's a beta tester and a cheater!" still another snapped. "He's… he's a beater!"

To their shock, Kirito's dark smile widened as he accessed his menu. "A beater," he repeated. "Yeah, that's good. I like it."

"Wait, what?!" Kibaou sputtered.

"Go ahead and call me a beater," Kirito said nonchalantly. "Just don't confuse me with those other testers again. It's not cool." With that, he equipped the Midnight Coat and began walking out of their midst. But his accusers had one last barb to cast.

"So you think you're better than us, you son of a-" Kibaou's voice was silenced by the presence of a blade at his throat. The sword scratched his neck, leaving a red mark and causing his health to dip down into the red zone. The man found the eyes of the one wielding it to be even more frightening than Illfang's mightiest roar.

Mataras' dark eyes blazed with the wrath of an impending storm. They were devoid of any patience, pity or compassion. They were the eyes of a man ready to kill without hesitation. Kibaou found that the sight locked up his vocal chords, which was exactly what Mataras wanted.

"Are you aware of the law of the sword?" the boy said in a quiet tone that was somehow more frightening than any amount of yelling that Kibaou had expected. When the loudmouth didn't respond, Mataras continued, "The law of the sword is this: if he is more dedicated than you, he will win. Kirito has more drive than anyone here, and _that's_ why he won against Illfang. You were just happy to sit back and let others do the heavy work, Kibaou. That's why at the end of every encounter, you will be the loser. Not because he was a beta tester, not because he has become a beater. But simply because he has the drive to win. Because he understands the law of the sword."

Against anyone else, Kibaou would have shouted obscenities at them. But seeing the look in Mataras' eyes, remembering his skill against Illfang and his minions, and taking note of how fast that blade had appeared at his throat, Kibaou decided to content himself with plotting the two boy's humiliation at a later date.

Seeing that nobody was going to give Kirito any further difficulties, Mataras sheathed his sword and began following Kirito. When they reached the top of the stairs, Kirito looked Mataras in the eye for a moment before pulling up his menu. "I guess this is good-bye," he said as he went to dissolve their party.

"No, it's not," Mataras shook his head slightly as Asuna walked up. "She should try to distance herself from us, but I'll stick with you."

"Why?" Both Asuna and Kirito were surprised.

"Well, they all hate you and me," Mataras replied. "But you, Asuna? You can still claim innocence. You can still become part of a guild, be a part of the assault team. But if you hang around us, you'll be a leper. No one will want anything to do with you. It's best if you find someone you trust and join up with them."

Asuna hesitated, not wanting to admit that what the enigmatic sword-user said made sense. But it did. So she opened her menu and left the party. Then she walked away from the two boys without another word, her expression unreadable. They watched as she went to talk to Agil before moving on to trigger the next floor's warp gate.

"Maybe when things die down, we can meet again on better terms," Mataras said quietly.

"Maybe," Kirito repeated. "Thanks, Mataras."

"For what?"

"In this death game, it'll be real handy having you around," the black-coated swordsman answered. "So thanks for sticking your neck out for me."

"No problem," Mataras replied. "I couldn't just let you take all of that heat on your own. That was… noble of you, to offer yourself to their hate like that. Not many people would have done as much."

Nothing more was said as the two friends entered the second floor of Aincrad.

* * *

 **Kirito: I had almost forgotten how well we hit it off...**

 **Mataras: Where did we go wrong?**

 **Asnua: Oh, don't be like that. You two always got along, right from the start! Sure, you fought like friends do, but look at well you worked together!**

 **Mataras: Same could be said for you and Kirito.**

 **Kirito: Ouch, he got us there.**

 **Asuna: I'll get him where the sun doesn't shine if he doesn't learn to tone it down!**

 **Mataras: Whoa, now.**

 **Kirito: Wait, before we go, I have a feeling that some of our new readers want to know how Mataras was able to act without using a sword skill.**

 **Mataras: And they will just have to wait to find out. I can't hand out spoilers, otherwise there would be no point to keeping certain things in suspense!**


	3. Red Stains

**A/N: For those of you reading through this first time, brace for some hurt... This chapter was really hard to write, as I really liked the Moonlit Black Cats. However, don't skip it to avoid the feels. You'll miss out an incredibly important detail if you do. With that being said, please ejoy and be sure to leave a review.**

* * *

Red Stains

"Here's to us, the Moonlit Black Cats! And to the guys that saved our lives!" A player with yellow hair said as he raised his cup aloft. "Kirito and Mataras!" His teammates echoed the cheer, causing both players to shift uncomfortably. They weren't used to being in the spotlight, and they preferred it that way.

But could they really be surprised? Kirito thought to himself. The five players had been seconds away from being slaughtered when Mataras had spotted them alongside his partner while doing some afternoon grinding. Being the way that they were, they ended up rescuing the group, which turned out to be a small guild called the Moonlit Black Cats.

As thanks for saving them, the guild's leader, a young man named Keita, insisted on treating them to dinner. Which led them to where they were now- seated at the end of the table and receiving praise from a bunch of strangers.

"Uh, cheers, guys," Kirito mumbled awkwardly.

"Yeah, thanks!" Keita grinned.

"Thank you so much," the only girl said timidly. "I thought that we were gonna die out there… And… it made me so happy when you came, I just…" The girl stopped and turned to wipe away a tear as Keita leaned in closer to ask Kirito a question.

"Kirito, sir?" he said in a lower tone. "I hope I'm not out of line in asking this, but… What level are you guys?"

"Level… twenty," Kirito answered, shifting uncomfortably again. Mataras almost spilled his drink in surprise. He and Kirito were level forty, not twenty! What was his partner up to?

Keita didn't seem to notice Mataras' reaction as he gasped. "Wow! You're the same level as us, but you're just a party of two?! You're an inspiration, sir!"

"Keita," Kirito sighed. "I'm not your superior, and being in a small party like this means that we're always hunting out in the boonies- it's not very efficient."

"Oh," Keita grinned sheepishly. "Well, then in that case… I hate to spring this on you guys like this, but… If you want, we'd love to have you in our guild!" Kirito and Mataras' eyes snapped up to meet Keita's, surprised to see that he was serious.

"See, right now, our mace-wielder, Tetsuo, is the only one we can put out front right now. And then there's Sachi." Keita grinned as he patted the blue-haired girl affectionately on the head. "I was thinking of having her switch to sword and shield so we could put her on the front lines."

"Well, that'd be a mistake," Mataras interjected, surprising the guild and his partner. When Sachi gave him an injured look, he elaborated, "Not having her on the front lines. I meant the shield part. If you want to become really distinguished on the front, you need to lose the shield. The speed reduction is what caused you guys to take all those hits you did."

"Oh…" Sachi said sadly. "Then I think I'll stick to what I have. I'm… I'm not really that useless." She looked very disappointed as she spoke.

"Nope," Mataras said as he shook his head before draining his cup. "You can't just settle for 'not being useless' in this game. So that's why you're going to have to start tomorrow morning with this guy." He pulled out his inventory and handed Sachi a basic sword across the table that he had got off of a monster drop earlier that week.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. She took the sword gingerly and added it to her inventory.

She then started to get some col to pay Mataras back, but he made a gesture for her to stop. "As long as I get to pair up with Sachi, I'm in," he said.

"What?!" Kirito was nothing less than surprised. Kirito knew Mataras well enough by this point to know that players on the level of the Moonlit Black Cats were not people that he would associate himself under normal circumstances. What was going on with him?

"Can we speak in private for a moment, Mataras?" he asked.

"Sure," he said as he rose to go walk with Kirito to the bar. "We'll be right back," he said as he waved back at the small guild.

When they were out of earshot, Kirito turned and asked his partner sharply, "What the hell are doing?!"

"I could ask you the same, minus the profanity," Mataras replied dryly. "Yes, I know, they're lower levels than us, and I don't normally hang out with people like that. But that's because most of them are lazy- not these guys. And if you must know, Sachi resembles someone very dear to me- someone I lost. Are you satisfied?"

Kirito was at a loss for words at this point. His reason for lying seemed pretty shallow now. "Oh," he muttered. "Well, I… I, uh… I just thought… if they knew our real levels, they'd probably peg us as beaters, and then they wouldn't want to hang around us anymore."

"So you're feeling lonely," Mataras smirked.

"Well… yeah, I guess."

"What, I'm not entertaining enough?"

Kirito sighed heavily. "Very funny," he muttered. "Now are we gonna go over there and sign up, or what?" Mataras clapped his hand over Kirito's shoulder and grinned slightly as they walked back to the expectant faces of the players.

Mataras smiled at Sachi and said, "We're in- both of us."

"Yeah!" Keita crowed as the others moved in to welcome their newest members.

* * *

The next day, Sachi surprised Mataras by knocking on his and Kirito's door early in the morning, already equipped with the sword that he had given her the night before. The young man was pleased to see that she was ready to take on her weapon change so readily.

He told her to wait outside while he changed and got himself equipped. He blearily pulled up his menu and equipped his red cloak, fringed with black, along with his black shirt and pants. His sword was much like Kirito's black one that had the moon emblem on it, save for that his own cross guard was dark red with the emblem of the sun on it.

Pulling up his cowl so that his face was mostly hidden, he exited the room quietly, trying not to wake Kirito- although he knew by this point that very little could wake the kid when he was all the way asleep.

He met Sachi outside the tavern that they had stayed at. He greeted her with the standard 'good morning' while taking a moment to assess her equipment. As far as her level went, the things she was wearing would do for now.

"All right," he said. "You got me up early. So what do you want to do today?"

"Well, I already left Keita a note saying that I'd be doing whatever kind of training you said to do today," Sachi said shyly. "So it's up to you. You're the teacher, right?"

"That's true…" Mataras mused. "Well, as far your stats go, you should be fine, even on this floor, as long as I'm with you. But your sword's durability will wear out really fast if we start using it up here, so I think we'll go to a lower floor for today, and work our way up while I teach you to use a sword. Sound okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, even though it was clear that she was nervous.

"Don't worry," he said as he waved at her to follow him to the town gate. "I'll take care of you, no problem." _I won't fail this time_ , he added silently.

* * *

As the weeks went by, Sachi became more and more competent with her sword under Mataras' tutelage. Mataras and Kirito kept up their own training regime in secret, even managing to get in on a boss raid without tipping the others off to their beater status.

Every now and again, they would run into Asuna, who only treated them with frosty politeness.

Tetsuo and the others decided to keep the skill set that they already had, despite Kirito and Mataras' offers to train them otherwise. Even so, the guild definitely began to see its best days with the two swordsmen to swell the ranks.

Mataras and Kirito got along well with their teammates, despite the fact that they all knew one another in real life, and they did not. The Moonlit Black Cats were friendly, warm people, and Kirito felt right at home with all of them.

Mataras preferred to spend his time with Sachi and Kirito for the most part, but he did hang out with the others around dinner and hunting times. It wasn't that he didn't like them, he was simply uncomfortable in groups of people that he didn't know very well.

* * *

One night after Kirito and Mataras had gone off to do some late night hunting, they received a message from Keita. It read, "Kirito/Mataras, Sachi has run off and we have no idea where she's gone off to. We need your help in finding her. Please, let us know if you find anything. Keita.'

Mataras looked at Kirito with a gaze that said he would handle this one alone. As the younger swordsman ran off, Mataras enabled his 'tracker sight' skill. It enabled him to find Sachi's path on the map displayed in the menu.

He found her hiding under a bridge, her head buried in her legs, which were curled into her chest. "Sachi," he said gently. She looked up with a surprised gasp to see her friend sitting down on the hard rocks a few feet away.

When she said nothing in response, he asked, "Why did you run off? Everyone's worried about you." His tone was gentle, which was unusual for him. Normally his voice was filled with unbridled confidence or downright arrogance. This softer side of his was something that not even Kirito had seen before.

"I'm… scared," she replied hoarsely. "I'm terrified that I'm going to die in here, in this stupid game."

"Why? Your training is really coming a long way. You're almost on par with Tetsuo."

"So what?" Sachi said, her grip on her own body tightening. "There's always going to be something stronger than me, something that could kill me."

"Well…" Mataras hesitated. He knew that he needed to get this one right. "Yeah, there's always going to be something stronger than you. But that's why you have me and the Black Cats. Together, you're all stronger than you could be on your own."

Sachi said nothing in response for a long moment, but Mataras wasn't going anywhere. Finally, the girl raised her head to look at Mataras. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and tear tracks marked her face. "Do you really think that we can make it out of this place alive?" she asked quietly.

Mataras nodded his head gravely. "I do," he said. "The Moonlit Black Cats are strong people. As long as we all stick together, we'll be on par with the guys on the front lines soon enough." He neglected to mention that while the Cats had been rapidly advancing their levels, they were still a good ten to fifteen levels below him and Kirito. Still, they were regarded as higher levelled, even amongst the assault team, so what he said was true. Five more levels or so, and the guild would be ready for the front lines, he thought to himself.

"You really think I won't die in here?" Sachi repeated.

Mataras nodded again with a small smile. "I really do," he said. "And I'm going to make sure of it, no matter what."

"No matter what?" Sachi was sitting straighter now, and the light of hope was back in her eyes. Mataras scooted over closer to the girl to put his arm reassuringly around her.

She leaned into the hug as he promised her that no matter what, he'd be there to keep her safe. _Maybe I can finally find peace in all of this,_ he thought as he helped Sachi to her feet. _Victoria… I miss you more than you'll ever know… But maybe with this second chance, I can let some of the pain go._

* * *

Later that night, Mataras lay awake in bed, his thoughts whirling around inside his mind at the speed of a tornado. His memories plagued him, and he found himself unable to even relax as his own mind tormented him. His own meditation techniques couldn't even help him.

Then he heard a soft knock on his door. Getting up quickly, he moved as quietly as he could an opened the door to reveal Sachi in her sleepwear, clutching an extra pillow and blanket. She appeared nervous, but then, Sachi always looked nervous.

"Can I help you?" he whispered, careful to keep his voice down.

"I can't sleep," she said in an equally quiet voice. "Can I… Can I sleep with you tonight, Mataras?"

Mataras was taken aback by the request, but he quickly recovered. "Uh…" he said, sweating lightly. "I guess… But what would the others say?"

"I don't care," she insisted. "And besides, Kirito's right there. It's not like they'll be able to accuse us of doing anything together." She had a point, he realized. But still, the last time he had shared a bed with someone it had been…

He shook his head to clear it and sighed as Sachi waited for his answer. "Okay," he said. "Come on in." The girl smiled happily and came inside to immediately get on the bed.

Mataras lay next to her, facing away, mindful of her personal space. He was surprised when she scooted closer to him and wrapped her arm around his abdomen, immediately making the space warmer.

He was about to ask her what she was doing when she whispered, "Good night… Big Brother. Thanks for today." Then she fell asleep so fast that she didn't have time to hear Mataras' stifle a small sob and his tears hitting the pillow.

* * *

"Well, everyone, I have an announcement to make," Keita grinned as he addressed his assembled guild mates. "As a result of last week's hunting, we now have more than two hundred thousand col in the guild savings."

There were mutters of surprise and satisfaction. "Hey, we could by a house with that kind of col!" Ducker grinned.

"Or we could upgrade Sachi's equipment," Sasamaru chimed in.

Keita hesitated- both were sound ideas, but… "What do you think, Sachi?" he asked.

The girl smiled and shook her head. "That's all right," she said. "I'm okay with what I have."

"Well, if you really feel that way," Keita grinned. Then he turned to Kirito and Mataras. "So what do you guys think? Should we get a house?"

"I'm all for it," Kirito grinned. "Having a permanent residence instead of having to pay rent every week sounds pretty good to me."

Mataras shrugged nonchalantly. "As long as we don't have to deal with those Liberation Army idiots on the first floor, I find this situation agreeable." When he received a blank look, he sighed and said, "As long as we don't have to stay on the first floor, I'd be happy to live in a house, Keita."

"All right," Keita smiled. "Then first thing tomorrow, I'll go start looking at some houses." This was well-met by the guild, and even Mataras cracked a smile in front of the others.

* * *

"All right, I'm off!" Keita said as he waved at his guild from the town gate. "Teleport, Yoza!" And he warped off to the second floor.

As soon as he was gone, Sasamaru grinned and said, "I can't believe we're getting out own house! This is so cool!"

"Aw come on," Ducker said as he ribbed his friend. "You sound like an old man."

"Wait, I've got an idea!" Tetsuo interrupted before the two would start ribbing each other. "While Keita's out shopping, why don't we go get some col for some furniture?"

"Yeah!" Ducker agreed enthusiastically. "Let's head up to floor twenty-seven, eh?"

This made Kirito nervous. The assault team had just cleared the twenty-seventh floor not too long ago, and most players weren't qualified to be hunting up on that floor yet. "Hey, hold on, guys," he cautioned. "Those floors sound pretty dangerous from the papers we've read. We should probably stick to our original hunting spots."

"Nah, we'll be fine," Sasamaru grinned as he stepped up to the gate. "We've been working pretty hard to get stronger, so we should be fine up there. And we can earn more col on the higher floors, and faster!"

"Yeah, but…" Kirito went to protest some more, but then he realized it would have no effect on the eager players. "All right, fine, but follow Mataras' and my lead. Got that?"

"Sure, mom," Ducker chuckled as they all stepped onto the teleportation gate. Mataras and Kirito exchanged worried glances. Even for them, the twenty-seventh floor was nothing to sneeze at. But as long as they stayed out of any traps, they should be fine- right?

* * *

To the surprise of both Kirito and Mataras, the group did just fine against the monsters of the twenty-seventh floor. They wandered deeper into the dungeon, with Mataras always keeping to the rear and Kirito in the front.

It was later in the afternoon when Kirito finally called for a stop. "I think we've done enough hunting for today," he said. "Let's get back to the tavern."

The others were about to agree, but purely by chance, Ducker's treasure-hunting skill picked up on something that the others couldn't see. He jogged over to a wall, much to Kirito's surprise, and pressed his hands against it. The 'wall' fell back to reveal a hidden room with a single treasure chest in it.

Mataras and Kirito both eyed the room with distrust. "Oh, yes, a single abandoned chest in an empty hidden room," Mataras said, his voice thick with sarcasm. "This looks about as authentic as-"

He realized that Ducker and the others were either ignoring him or didn't hear him, because he went and immediately opened the chest with glee, the others right behind him. "You IDIOT!" Mataras roared as he charged into the room, Kirito right behind him, sword drawn.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than did the door shut behind them, locking tight. The chest disappeared as an alarm began to blare and the walls throbbed red. More hidden rooms were revealed, spawning several dwarf-like monsters and tall golem creatures.

"Teleport crystals!" Kirito snapped at the dumbstruck guild.

Ducker reached into his cape and held a blue crystal aloft. "Teleport, Taft!" he cried. Nothing happened, and Mataras and Kirito felt the cold stone of fear settle in their bellies. "Teleport, _Taft_!" Ducker tried again, his voice sounding desperate.

"Why aren't the crystals working?" Sachi asked, her voice strained with terror.

"We just walked into an anti-crystal zone," Kirito replied grimly. He eyes the mobs around him uneasily, for they were still spawning. He swung his blade and decimated one of the dwarves that got too close for comfort.

"Why didn't you listen to me?!" Mataras snarled at Ducker as they prepared to fight their way out. "You do realize that you just sent us towards our deaths at _record_ speed?!"

"Nah, these guys don't look that tough," Tetsuo said with confidence as he swung his mace at one of the golems. His confidence and grin vanished as soon as he realized that the golem wasn't dead- and very much capable of hitting back.

The blow he received knocked him on his back, giving way for the dwarves to stab him with their pickaxes, over and over. His dying screams would forever haunt Mataras and Kirito. His avatar shattered into pieces even as Ducker moved to avenge his friend.

"No, don't separate!" Mataras cried out.

But it was too late. Ducker wasn't as strong as Tetsuo, so he never stood a chance. The mobs made short work of him. Sasamaru was the last one of the boys to die, struck from behind by one of the golems.

This was enough to send both Mataras and Kirito into a killing rage. They hacked, slashed and beat their way through anything that came within the reach of their swords. Unfortunately, this separated them from Sachi.

She was left to engage a number of the golems alone with her sword. Her level was decent by now, but her resolve was shaking with the death of her friends, and she failed to notice the long arm about to come down to end her life.

But Kirito saw it, just in the nick of time. " _Sachi_!" he screamed desperately. But there was no way for him to reach the girl in time. There were too many monsters blocking his way, and he was about to fail the last member in his party. Time seemed to stop, then.

But he wasn't the only other one there that day. Mataras saw what was happening and did the only thing that he could think of. Rearing his arm back, he hurled his sword mightily, turning it into a giant pinwheel of death. It flashed through the air to slice off the golem's arm and sticking in the wall behind it. This gave Sachi the opening she needed to dodge and retaliate.

The golem shattered into pieces, and this seemed to give Sachi the confidence she needed to hold off the rest of her attackers. Mataras managed to make his way over to the girl by dodging and weaving in between the mobs and retrieve his sword from the wall.

Together, they managed to clear a path through to Kirito, their swords causing terrible havoc on the monsters that would take their lives. Once they regrouped, they were able to hold off the stone monsters while Sachi retaliated against the shorter dwarf creatures.

After a long, drawn-out battle, Kirito, Sachi, and Mataras all staggered out of the dungeon, exhausted and nearly out of health points. They sat down outside the entrance and numbly drank their health potions. None of them wanted to even move after what they had just been through.

But they had no such luck. Soon after, they got each got a message from Keita, saying that he had made the purchase for their new house, and he wanted to meet them on the second floor. He also wondered why Ducker, Tetsuo, and Sasamaru weren't on his friend list anymore, and he wanted an explanation.

"I'll tell him," Mataras mumbled.

"Thanks," was the only thing that Kirito could say.

"Thanks for saving me," Sachi said quietly. "I know you guys did all that you could."

"No, we didn't," Kirito said bitterly. "If we had told you guys the truth from the beginning, they would have listened more carefully to Mataras, and-"

"I know how strong you guys really are," she interrupted. The quiet words stopped both swordsmen cold.

"You… knew?" Mataras echoed. "How…?"

"I kind of peeked at your stats the other day when you were swapping swords," Sachi replied, slightly embarrassed. "But I can't figure out why you didn't want us to know about it."

Both Kirito and Mataras exchanged shamed gazes before the former beta tester hung his head and said, "Sachi… Are you familiar with the term 'beater'? The one that applies to the former beta testers?"

"Yes…" Sachi said carefully.

"I'm the first known beater," Kirito admitted. "I'm the one that took that title on. Mataras here was just unlucky enough to be associated with me, so he took the name, too. And that means that we knew about traps like the one that just killed our friends."

"So why just not tell us?" Sachi asked.

"We were afraid that if you knew our real identities, you guys wouldn't want us around anymore," Mataras answered. "We both saw how much fun you all had together, and we just wanted to be a part of it. But I guess it doesn't matter now, does it?"

"You're wrong," Sachi said in response, startling both her friends.

"What do you mean?" Kirito asked. "Don't you blame us for what happened to everyone just now?"

"No," Sachi said with a shake of her head. "The others should have listened to you, whether you were a beater or not. Anybody could have seen that room was an obvious trap, but we ignored the signs. Their deaths aren't your fault."

Kirito and Mataras both hung their heads, feeling both ashamed and amazed that Sachi would be so forgiving towards them. Mataras' eyes watered as he was once again reminded of another girl, but he didn't let the others see his tears.

Instead, he stood and wiped his eyes. "Come on," he said as he held his hand out to Sachi. "We'd better talk to Keita about a funeral. And… about us."

* * *

"You… you two are beaters…?" Keita gasped, his face twisted in horror. But the expression was quickly replaced by fury. "You had no right to be around us!" He threw the keys to the house he had bought, landing a solid hit on Mataras' face. The swordsman didn't even flinch from the impact, and the keys simply fell to the ground.

Keita staggered against the railing that overlooked the sky that Aincrad floated in, the full impact of his friend's deaths crashing down on him. "You… you killed them…" he whispered. "The day you joined us… you sealed their deaths."

"They saved our lives, Keita," Sachi tried to console him, but he pushed her away and immediately got on top of the railing. Seeing what was about to happen, Sachi rushed forward, but she was too late to keep Keita from leaping to his death. "NO!"

She leaned over the railing, trying to grasp at his foot, but Mataras grabbed her wrist, an unfathomable sadness etched into his face. He held onto her wrist until Keita passed from view before he let go. Kirito just stood off to the side, so filled with pain that it numbed his heart to any other emotion.

"Why…?" Sachi asked Mataras as she sank down onto the grass.

"We've lost enough friends for a lifetime," Mataras replied. "I won't risk losing another." Slowly, he picked up the keys that Keita had dropped and helped Sachi to her feet. Kirito followed them, silent as a wraith, as they walked towards the new house that Keita had bought.

* * *

 **Mataras: Just to clear things up and shut down any premature ideas, this is _not_ an OCxSachi ship!**

 **Kirito: Feeling defensive much?**

 **Mataras: Sorry... I just got asked that question so many times last version... Oei.**

 **Sachi: Well, I suppose I can understand why, though. Most siblings don't get along as well as you and I.**

 **Mataras: Trust me, I know. My siblings IRL... Never mind, I won't say it.**

 **Asuna: Aw, but now I wanna know!**

 **Kirito: And I think people still want to know how in the world you're attacking without using swords skills!**

 **Mataras: Who said I wasn't? And get used to cliffhangers.**


	4. Dragon Masters

**A/N: So here is the third chapter. As is implied, one of the members of the Moonlit Black Cats is also a Dragon Tamer. Which one? Does this foreshadow a plot device in the upcoming altered Fairy Dance arc? Let's find out!**

* * *

Dragon Masters

It was nearly night when they heard the screams. Mataras exchanged glances with his teammates before they all took off in the direction of the sound. From what they could tell, it seemed that there was a single player out in the field.

 _What kind of fool comes out onto this floor dungeon solo?_ Mataras thought as Kirito and Sachi raced behind him. A slight breeze brushed against his left ear, but he ignored it. Right now, he needed to focus on finding-

The team burst out of the dark forest to find three giant gorilla-type monsters menacing a small girl, weaponless and crying. The Moonlit Black Cats charged, each one of them selecting a single monster to take down. Less than two seconds later, the monsters were nothing but a bunch of polygons.

The young girl looked up to see the faces of her saviors, wondering who had come to her rescue. The first was a girl with dark hair, not much older than herself. She wielded a single silver blade, equipped mostly in dark blue armor with some silver themes throughout. Her eyes were blue and filled with sadness.

The second was a gray-eyed boy with a silver blade that had a blue cross guard and a moon symbol on it. His clothes were mostly black with a yellow shirt and some blue shoulder pads. His face was completely blank, devoid of any emotion.

The last one was different from the others. Something about his stance and every movement seemed to be fueled by some kind of… anger. His eyes were dark brown, although in the dark of the forest, they almost seemed to be black holes of fury. His shirt, pants, and hair were jet black like his male companion's, but his fell past his ears and partially obscured his left eye. The girl wasn't sure whether or not that this guy was really hero material.

Strangely, he was the first to sheathe his sword, a blade similar to his friend's but with a red cross guard and a sun symbol. His red-and-black waistcoat fluttered gently in the wind as he walked over to the girl. He knelt down beside her, blinking once as he looked her over for any wounds. When his eyes opened, the hard light in them vanished, and the lines in his face softened considerably.

The girl almost blinked herself: in less than a moment, the mysterious swordsman had gone from being a rage-filled warrior to an almost-charming young man. "Drink this," he said as he handed her a red vial.

She drank the health potion and felt her aches washing away and her energy being restored. _Health…_ Her eyes brimmed with tears as she noticed the single feather Pina had left behind as the only proof of her existence in the first place.

Her rescuer noticed the object of her attention, and he picked it up. "This is your familiar's heart," he said as he placed it in her unoccupied hand. "You'll need that if you're going to revive her."

"Revive her?" the girl said shakily. Then she shook her head and wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry, I've been rude. My name is Silica, who're you guys?"

"I'm Kirito," the boy in black replied as he walked over slowly.

"Sachi," said the girl quietly.

"I am Mataras," the one that had been talking to her said. "We're sorry we didn't get here sooner. We might have been able to save your familiar."

"Pina," Silica nodded. "She was my friend… a healing dragon." As she thought of her only real friend in these last few months, she could have sworn that she heard her familiar squawk. No, wait… The sound was a deeper one than she remembered.

Looking up, she was surprised to see a red dragon slightly larger than Pina perching on Mataras' shoulder. The young man patted the dragon affectionately, which caused it to warble happily. "This is Litrosh," he explained. "My fire dragon familiar."

"A fire dragon familiar?!" Silica gasped. She'd never met anybody who'd managed to find, let alone tame one of the rare fire dragons. "How did you do that?"

"No offense, but shouldn't you focus on _your_ dragon?" Mataras replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You'll run out of time at this rate."

"Run out of time?" Silica asked, disoriented. "What do you mean?"

"Why don't you let me handle this one, okay, buddy?" Kirito said as he also knelt down. Turning to Silica, he said, "Here's the deal. There's a dungeon on the forty-seventh floor called the Hill of Memories. Inside it, there's an item drop that's supposed to revive familiars."

"Floor forty-seven?" Silica said in despair. "It'll take me at least a few months to get that far…"

"That's not all," Sachi added. "The item will only work seventy-two hours after death. After that, it won't be possible to revive Pina."

"We'd go for you," Kirito said, "And you'd only have to pay for the cost of the trip. Real problem is, the item won't drop unless the familiar's master is there. You'd have to come with us if you wanted the item." He and Mataras both stood and opened their menus.

"I'd love to come, but…" Silica sighed deeply in resignation. Then her menu popped up to notify her of a trade request. Looking up, she saw that both Mataras and Kirito were offering her higher-level equipment.

"Take these," Kirito said. "They should boost your stats four or five levels."

"Oh!" Silica said as she got to her feet. "Well, I know I don't have enough col to pay you back, but-"

"Don't worry about it," Mataras said as he closed his menu. "We don't need any col. We have some business on floor forty-seven tomorrow anyways."

"Well, then…" Silica was very confused. "Why are you guys helping me?"

Mataras and Kirito both exchanged a look, the one in red grinning a little, while the one in black face-palmed. "Mataras is doing this because he really, _really_ likes dragons," Kirito sighed. "And I… Well… Ugh… It's cos you remind me of my little sister."

Despite herself, and the situation she had found herself in, Silica couldn't help but laugh. The laughter only increased when Kirito groaned and walked away, muttering to himself.

* * *

They were head to a tavern to spend the night when they ran into a group of three players, two men and one woman. She seemed to be rather vain, considering her clothing choices that left little to the imagination, Mataras thought as they approached.

"Hello, Silica," the woman smiled with mock cheer. "How are you, dear? Where's Pina?"

"She died trying to save me…" Silica mumbled.

"Oh… What a shame," the woman sighed exaggeratedly.

"Pardon me, but do you two know each other?" Mataras asked as he stepped between Silica and the older player. His tone was pitched slightly lower than normal. The two young men immediately shrank from his presence- something about this new player seemed off to them.

"Why, yes, actually," the woman said, continuing her smile. "Up until this morning, we were all in a party together. But dear little Silica decided to run off on her own, and I've been wondering how she was all day!"

"As if," Mataras snorted. "If you were really concerned, why was it that a bunch of strangers found her instead of her own teammates? Were you more afraid of the forest than a little girl?"

The other woman's eyes widened as her mind registered the insults, and she dropped her pleasant demeanor. "Listen here, you little-"

"Rosalia, can't we just go?" One of her teammates eyed Mataras nervously. He noticed that the other by was reaching quietly for his sword on his back.

The woman 'harrumphed' and turned on her heel. As she left, she said, "He's a real charmer, Silica! I hope he keeps you entertained." Sachi placed her hand on Mataras' shoulder to calm him before he drew his sword and attacked the annoying woman.

"Calm down," she said gently. "It's not worth it to fight someone like that."

"Hmph," he shrugged her hand off.

* * *

That night after dinner, the team began discussing the dangers of the forty-seventh floor, and what was the best route to take. Kirito pulled up a holo-map to show the fastest route to take through the dungeon called 'The Hill of Memories' where the item that they sought was supposed to be found.

Kirito's finger began to trace a path on the map, when Mataras suddenly bolted upright and threw open the door. He looked out at the hallway, but did not go out any further. The sound of rapid footsteps faded away slowly. Once they were gone, Mataras shut the door and locked it again. "Eavesdropper," he growled.

"What?" Silica asked.

"Someone with a high enough stealth skill can eavesdrop on other players, even through locked doors," Sachi explained. "Not many people can do it, but it is possible."

"But who would wanna spy on us?" Silica was still confused.

"Someone may have overheard us at dinner," Mataras muttered as he sat down with a scowl on his face. "We should have been more careful. The pnuema flower is a rare item, and there are some players who would probably be willing to jump us to get it."

"What do you mean by that?" Silica's small voice was strained with fear now, and a slight sheen of sweat was on her brow.

Kirito sighed; he didn't want to cause Silica more stress, but it was only right that she knew. No one could afford to be in the dark in this game. "Do you see how our player icons are green?" he began. He indicated the gem-like icon floating above his head.

When Silica nodded, he continued, "Well, in most games, there are what're called yellow players: gamers who commit crimes against other players. In most games, they can play as the bad guy, have a few laughs, no real harm done.

"But in SAO, they're committing real crimes against real people, which makes them dangerous. But they're not the worst of it."

"There are worse?" Silica gasped.

"Yeah," Kirito said with a nod. "There are red players- player killers."

"Player… Killers?" the little girl repeated nervously.

"The worst kind," Kirito nodded again. "They treat other players in the fields like mobs, getting rare items and EXP off of them. They can't kill in safe zones unless they challenge some-one to a duel, but they usually don't resort to that."

"And… you think that the person that was spying on us is a red player?" Silica was very pale, Kirito noticed.

"Not likely," he said. "In all of Aincrad, there's probably only one hundred red players or so, and I doubt that our eavesdropper was one of them. More likely he was a yellow player."

This made Silica feel a little better- but only a little. "Are we still going to try and get the flower?" she asked nervously.

"We'll save Pina, don't worry," Sachi smiled gently. Litrosh, strangely enough, seemed to agree with Sachi, despite the fact that she was not his master. He let out a soft warble and bobbed his head.

Could he know that they were talking about another dragon, she wondered? Was it even possible for an AI to do that?

"Back to the map," Mataras said as he moved to stand over the sphere. "Seeing as we need to make this a fast trip, and there's four of us, why don't we take…this path?"

* * *

They emerged on the floor, Floria, early the next morning. This place was known as 'the lovers floor', and it was easy to see why. The place was covered in an array of flowers of all kinds, making the land shimmer almost like a rainbow.

Silica was immediately distracted by this and ran over to smell some of the plants while giggling to herself. As Mataras watched this happen, he sighed and said aside to his dragon, "How in the world she ever got Pina to follow her is beyond me."

The little red dragon made a series of squawking sounds, to which Mataras relied hotly, "No, I'm pretty sure even Hannah would've been able to do that!" The red lizard seemed to chuckle, which his master ignored.

Kirito and Sachi both had learned by this point to stop trying to get Mataras not to talk to Litrosh as though it was an intelligent creature. All it did was cause arguments due to Mataras' vague answers whenever they asked him direct questions.

Also, despite all of their inquires, he refused to say anything about his family or any friends that he might have in the real world. Other than those two areas, the remnants of the Moonlit Black Cats got along famously.

"Shall we get going?" Sachi asked as Silica got up and dusted herself off. "We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us for today."

"Oh!" Silica exclaimed. "Yeah, sorry about that. Sure, let's go." Without any further delays, the group set out on the path to the Hill of Memories.

After they'd been walking quietly for a few minutes, Silica finally piped up again. "So… Mr. Kirito? You said that I reminded you of your little sister. Would you mind telling me a little bit about her?"

Kirito shrugged uncomfortably and said, "Well, for starters, she's not really my sister. She's my cousin, but we were raised like siblings, so I doubt that she knows. I guess ever since I found that out, I didn't feel like I was part of her family anymore, and that's why we kind of drifted apart.

"One thing I can say about her is that she's pretty handy with martial arts," he said with a fond smile. "She rocks with kendo since she's been training for a long time- ever since we were both really little. I used to do it, too, but then one day I decided that it wasn't for me."

His face winced and he rubbed his neck, no doubt remembering the pain of a blow from many years ago. "Grandpa beat the hell out of me for wanting to quit, but Suguha said that she'd train double-hard for both of us, so he let me go.

"I've always felt guilty for bailing on her like that," Kirito explained. "So I guess by helping you, somehow I feel like I'm paying her back now. I just hope she doesn't hate me when I wake up from this death game."

"I don't think she hates you," Silica said with a bright smile. "I mean, you're a really nice guy, Mr. Kirito, so I don't think that she could ever hate you. I know I couldn't."

Kirito smiled brightly for the first time in a while at that. "Thanks, Silica," he said.

* * *

The trip through the dungeon took some time, and some rather entertaining moments when Silica tried to take on mobs that were a bit out of her league, but no one was seriously hurt. Silica made sure that she talked to everyone about anything she could; to Kirito about his sister, to Sachi about her family back home, and to Mataras about the care of dragons, as well as how he had tamed Litrosh.

When they reached the drop area for the item that they sought, Silica was beyond delighted when a single white flower sprung up and blossomed in a matter of seconds. As soon as Kirito gave her the nod, she plucked the flower and added it to her inventory.

"Let's wait to use it once we're back in a safe zone," Mataras advised, to which they all agreed.

"Yeah, there's a lot of monsters that'll be a little too much for Pina to handle," Kirito added. "I'm sure she'd want it this way."

"Okay," Silica nodded as they headed back down the path.

* * *

They were all sharing in a little laugh, when Mataras' face suddenly hardened and he placed a hand on Pina's shoulder. Kirito noticed this and made a stopping motion with his hand to the girls. Silica looked up at them, wondering what was happening, while Sachi placed her hand on her sword.

Mataras and Kirito's gazes were fixed on the trees that lined the path as the leader of the small guild called out, "Whoever is hiding out there, come out now."

For a moment, it seemed as though Kirito was talking to the tree itself until a not-unfamiliar figure stepped out from behind it. "Good afternoon," Rosalia said with her fake smile. "How are you all today?"

"Hello, Rosalia," Kirito said with the same smile. He turned to hand Silica a blue teleport crystal, saying, "Keep this handy, but stay back no matter what happens to us."

"So, do you prefer Rosalia, or do you prefer to be referred to as the leader of Titan's Hand?" Mataras said as he took a couple of steps forward.

"Oh, so you know who I am?" Rosalia mused. "Very clever. How _did_ you find that out?"

"Do you remember that guild of five that you wiped out a few weeks ago?" Mataras snapped. "You killed everyone but the leader."

"Oh, yeah, the losers with no money," Rosalia sighed. "What a waste."

"She killed them?" Silica whispered to Sachi. "But her icon is green!" Sure enough, Rosalia's cursor was normal-colored.

However… "The yellow effect usually wears off after a couple of days, unless you keep committing crimes," Sachi replied in a lowered tone. "But Titan's Hand, amongst other criminal guilds work a little different. The green player scouts the target so then the yellow and red players can take care of the dirty work."

"That's horrible!" Silica gasped.

"Well, as much as I would love to chat, I have things that I should be taking," Rosalia shrugged. "Only idiots take this seriously. There's no real proof that if you die in here that you're dead IRL. But in any case, I suggest that you hand over the pneuma flower if you want to walk away from this."

"I don't think so," Mataras snarled at Rosalia as Kirito and he drew their blades. "That was one of your people outside our room last night, wasn't it?"

"And if it was?" Rosalia smirked as she snapped her fingers. Eight thugs with yellow cursors stepped out from behind the trees just as Rosalia had done. "You're outnumbered, so I'd advise that you do as you're told."

"Hmph," Mataras snorted as he and his teammate began to move across the bridge again. "Sachi, Litrosh, keep Silica safe. This won't take a moment."

"But, Mr. Mataras! Mr. Kirito!" Silica tried to protest, but Sachi held her back while Litrosh perched on her head.

"Wait, Kirito?" one of the thugs repeated uncertainly. "I know that name from somewhere…"

One of his compatriots gasped and said, "One-handed… No shields… Those two are shadowed by a young girl… One with a black coat, the other a red one… The Moonlit Black Cats from the assault team! These two are the Black and Red Swordsmen!"

Rosalia snorted derisively. "Why would a guild from the front lines be down here? Besides, there's only four of them, two of which are little girls. I think it's safe to say that you all have this one under control."

"You really want to bet on that?" Mataras said with a wolfish smile plastered on his face. "Tell you what; you can have the first shot. Want to see how that turns out?"

The Titan's Hand cronies eyes the two young men nervously. Kirito was the epitome of calm, while his friend had the look of a wild animal that was barely restraining itself in the anticipation of a hunt. Either one was unsettling, but to see them standing together was downright frightening.

"Shut up!" Rosalia snapped. "You two are outnumbered four to one, and you're inviting us to attack?! Kill them already!" She shouted the last part at her minions, who were galvanized into action by the loud words.

They swung with all their might and speed at the two young warriors, stabbing and slashing them repeatedly. Neither one of them moved as the blades cut into them over and over again. Silica cried out and tried to leap to their rescue, only to have Sachi restrain her with an iron grip.

The young dragon tamer's first thought was that Sachi had betrayed them for some reason, until the other girl directed her attention to Kirito and Mataras' health bars. At first Silica didn't understand what was happening- it looked like the two boys hadn't taken any damage since the assault began. Then she noticed something very curious: every time one of them got hit, their health bar would dip slightly, only to be restored back to full health a moment later.

"What in the…?" she wondered aloud.

She wasn't the only one confused by the situation. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Rosalia shouted at her minions, who were gasping for breath, utterly exhausted. "Why haven't you killed them already?!"

"I don't get it!" One of them shouted back, fear in his voice.

"We gave it everything we had!" another agreed.

"What's there to get?" Mataras grinned evilly. "We're level seventy-eight, with Sachi back there being seventy-five. At this point, our wounds heal faster than you incompetents can make them."

Krirto nodded as the men each took an involuntary step backwards. "The guild you guys murdered? Their leader survived, and he convinced us to take care of this matter."

"So what, now?" Rosalia said in a mock-sweet tone. "Are you going to kill us, little boys?"

"Don't tempt me," Mataras snapped, his eyes blazing with fury. Back from Silica's shoulder, Litrosh let out a warning growl. "Believe me, I'd just as soon chop you into pieces."

"But that's not what our client wanted," Kirito explained as he held up a large blue crystal that appeared to have red bubbles within it. "No, he wanted you to face justice for what you did. This crystal is bound to the prison, and you're all going in there, even if we have to force you in. This is where all that money you were after went to. This job and the crystal cost our client most of his fortune, and we'll see that he gets his money's worth."

Rosalia could see that they were dead serious. In response, she hefted her spear and shouted, "Well, I'm green, so if you hurt me, you'll end up-!" Her words were cut off as Mataras suddenly blurred up to level his sword across her throat, ready to kill.

"I don't care if I have to play yellow, or even red for a few days," he said as his eyes burned like black volcanoes. "I'm called the Red Swordsman for a reason, you got it?" Her spear dropped in response.

* * *

Later that day, after they'd made sure that Titan's Hand were all safely behind bars, the group was gathered in Silica's room again. Once they had all gathered, Sachi was the first to speak. "I guess we should apologize for putting you in danger like that," she said. "We were afraid that if you knew why we were really down here, you'd be afraid of us."

"Nah," Silica said with a shake of her head. "I know I wasn't in any real danger, since you guys are so strong. And I could never be afraid of you, because you're good people."

"Heh," Kirito chuckled. "Thanks, Silica. You're a good friend."

"Thanks, Mr. Kirito," she grinned with a slight blush. "Maybe someday when we all get out of here, we can all meet up in the real world?"

"I'd like that," Sachi said with a smile. Kirito agreed while Mataras simply nodded once.

"I suppose we should revive Pina, eh?" the red-cloaked player said.

"Yeah!" Silica chirped happily. She got the two items, Pina's Heart, and the pneuma flower, and set them on the table. She held the flower over the glowing feather that was left of her dragon, and left it that way until a single drop rolled off the flower, causing it to shatter. When the drop hit the feather, it began to glow, and the whole group, even Mataras, smiled broadly.

 _Pina..._ Silica thought as the glow reached its brightest. _I can't wait to tell you about my exciting adventures... The day where I got to have my very own big brothers and sister..._

* * *

 **Kirito: So what hint were you trying to drop? I don't get it.**

 **Mataras: And much to no one's surprise, the Black Swordsman's thinking skill has yet to develop.**

 **Kirito: Hey!**

 **Asuna: Well, in the original show, you were pretty clueless when it came to girls.**

 **Kirito: That doesn't have anything to do with this!**


	5. Revenge From Beyond

**A/N: Okay, we'll now be seeing how both Kirito and Mataras get along with Asuna these days... This'll be fun, don't you think?  
**

* * *

Revenge From Beyond

The mood in the room was nothing short of grim. Suddenly, Asuna's hand shot forward and slapped the map. "Lure it to the village," she muttered. "That's how we beat it. Our archers can get it go to the town, and then it'll be distracted killing the NPC's. That's where _we_ strike."

"Wait a second," Kirito protested. "We can't just go around killing off NPC's. That's-"

"You think they're alive?" Asuna interrupted coldly. "Unlike us, they can re-spawn if they die. They're no different that rocks and trees, or even other mobs."

Kirito scowled at his ex-partner and said, "Sorry, but I'm not cool with this plan."

"I'm in charge of this operation," Asuna retorted, "So you'll do as I say, got that?"

Before either one of them could get another word in, another voice let out a short bark of laughter before saying, "Forgive me, Miss Lightning Flash." Mataras' voice was practically dripping with mock respect. "But you command the Knights of the Blood-Oath, not the Moonlit Black Cats. And there's no way your plan would work anyways. Bosses can't leave the areas they guard. It doesn't matter that this is a field boss, there's still a certain parameter that they can't leave. And they most certainly can't into safe zones- they are safe zones after all."

Asuna was about to put him in his place when she realized that he was right about the bosses. It shut her up, but it didn't stop her from glaring lightning bolts at Mataras. She couldn't figure out which one of them she hated more: Kirito for being so argumentative, or Mataras for being right while insulting her simultaneously.

"All right, I think we'll need to do another week of grinding in that case," said Klein, the leader of the Furinkazan Guild. He and Kirito knew each other from the launch date, and he was a respected member of the assault team, although the Holy Dragon Alliance seemed to have some kind of grudge against him. "Let's meet back here next week to compare notes. Any arguments?" He shot a look at both the Black Cats and Asuna while he spoke.

Fortunately, everyone agreed to leave peacefully, and the meeting cavern cleared out with relative quiet. As they were leaving, the two teenagers were approached by Agil, who had a frown on his face. "What's up with you guys?" he demanded.

"Huh?" Kirito asked.

"You two and the second-in-command always seem to be going at it," he said with a shake of his head. "And I thought you guys were supposed to be friends?"

"Hmph," Mataras grunted, his typical response.

"We just don't seem to click," Kirito shrugged. "I remember telling her that she'd have been better off joining a guild, but I never thought that she would take my advice so far as to become a floor-clearing badass."

"It doesn't really matter," Mataras said almost to himself. "We have Sachi with us anyways. And she's more than competent now. I reckon that she'd put a bunch of those Holy Dragon guys to shame with her sword work nowadays."

"Speaking of which, where did she go with Litrosh?" Agil asked. "I saw her head off about half an hour ago."

"She's getting lunch ready, probably," Mataras replied. "We're supposed to meet her on floor fifty-nine anyways in a bit. We'll see you later, Agil. Good luck with the shop today."

"Yeah," the larger man said with a slight wave. "Take care, y'all."

* * *

The trio of friends all had a picnic on the grass outside of town. Sachi made some sandwiches that both Mataras and Kirito enjoyed immensely. Kirito's was made with sausages and Mataras' was a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich. Litrosh gulped down some raw duck meat that he had caught yesterday with Mataras' assistance while Sachi contented herself with a turkey sandwich.

The food left them feeling content and sleepy, so they decided to take naps in turns while one of them kept watch for any criminal players. They weren't in a dungeon, by they were no longer in a safe zone, so it was possible to be killed by other players out here.

It was Mataras that was on watch when he heard a single player walk over to the sleeping Kirito and Sachi. He himself was propped up against a tree, pretending to doze, but his discipline was too good to allow anything other than complete alertness.

When the figure stopped and looked down at the trio, Mataras made his move. He lifted his blade from his lap- he'd already drawn it earlier- and pointed it at the onlooker's throat faster than the eye could follow.

He heard a familiar voice gasp in shock and he let out a sigh. Standing up, he sheathed his sword and faced Asuna. "What do you want?" he asked quietly.

"Everyone else is working their butts off to clear this floor, and where do I find you three? Taking a nap on the side of the road."

Mataras shrugged. "We've already done more than our fair share of work this week," he said. "And we're not part of your guild, so it's not for you to decide whether or not we deserve a rest."

"There's more that we could all be doing," Asuna growled. "As some of the top players, it falls on us to-"

"You really haven't thought about what I said back before the first boss raid, have you?" Mataras said abruptly, throwing the girl off.

"Wh- What?" she sputtered. "What are you even talking about?"

"Do you remember how I said that this place may change you? And that it might not be such a bad thing?" Mataras' voice had lost its hostile edge. Now he seemed almost… sad.

"What of it?" Asuna asked carefully.

"Well, it seems like you haven't really noticed anything at all," Mataras sighed. "For example, if you were paying attention, you'd know that today Aincrad is at its optimal weather setting, and that's why we're taking a nap."

"Every nap here is another bit of time wasted in the real world," Asuna snapped. "Why don't you get that?!"

"Because we're not in the real world," Mataras shrugged as he sat back down. "We're alive, here, in Aincrad. So why not enjoy the life that has been given to us? Look at Kirito and Sachi. Some of our hardest and finest, and yet here they are, able to relax like any normal person would. Like you know some part of you wants to."

Asuna wanted to protest, but something in the red-cloaked boy's words rendered the words useless in her mouth. Despite herself, she began to look around, noticing the bright, warm sun, the lush green grass, the clear blue sky, and the soft wind on her face. Then she looked back at Mataras and his friends, all resting easily.

Well, she knew that Mataras was likely only pretending to rest. She unconsciously rubbed her throat as she remembered the speed of his surprise attack, and that triggered another thought. _He's nowhere near as careless as he appears_ , she thought. _Even though he's claiming to relax, he's trying to make sure that the others just have a good time._

Looking around once more, she reluctantly sat down on the grass, being forced to admit that it did feel nice. Mataras smiled to himself as she finally lay down, closed her eyes, and fell fast asleep. But he stayed awake and ever vigilant as the others gathered some much-needed rest.

* * *

It was nearly sunset when Asuna finally awoke. As she came to, she was aware of a few things. The first was that she was not on her bed, like she had initially thought. She was lying in a field of grass that seemed familiar, but her sleep-addled mind couldn't quite place it.

Then she looked up and saw _him_ sitting a few feet away on a rock wall, a small smile fixed on his face. "Good morning," Kirito grinned. "How did you- Gah!"

He leaped back over the wall as Asuna got to her feet and started to draw her rapier, shaking with fury. "What are you doing over there?!" she demanded.

"Well, Mataras and Sachi went to go do some grinding, so I volunteered to stay back and look out for you while you slept," Kirito replied as he peeked over the wall to see Asuna slowly sheathing her weapon.

"Fine, then," Asuna growled. "You get _one_ meal."

"Uh… what?" Kirito felt like he was missing something big.

"One meal," Asuna repeated as she straightened. "All you can eat. Then we'll be even."

* * *

Mataras and Sachi had just finished their levelling when they got messages from Kirito saying that he would be having dinner with Asuna on the fifty-seventh floor. Mataras had to smile a little bit at the thought of the two players having a civil conversation over dinner. It just seemed rather unlike them to get along that well.

"What do you think?" he asked his partner. "Should we go keep an eye on them at the restaurant?"

Sachi rubbed her lean stomach and nodded. "Food does sound good," she admitted. "I guess this is Asuna's way of saying 'thanks' to Kirito for watching out for her while she was sleeping, huh Big Brother?"

"Yeah," Mataras nodded. "Especially with sleep PK-ers on the loose these days." The red players had lately begun to target those that they selected for murder while they slept. Originally, they would do it outside safe zones like where the Moonlit Black cats had been napping, but now they had found out a way to do it inside safe zones, which was a huge problem, Mataras thought. They would manually engage a duel on both sides by manipulating a sleeping player's finger to access their menu, and then stab them to death once the safety was disabled.

In his opinion, the red players should have been rounded up and put in jail, or killed on the spot. Shaking the thoughts form his head, he opened his menu and sorted his items as they walked back into town. He tossed a snack of raw meat to his dragon once he came across it, who gulped it down happily.

* * *

They went to the same restaurant as Kirito and Asuna, but they sat several tables away to give them privacy. Sachi and he chatted about inconsequential matters for several minutes while they waited for their food. She was in the middle of telling him about the time that Ducker had set fire to his hair in a chemistry lab when a piercing scream split the atmosphere.

The two front-liners were immediately on their feet and running towards the door. Mataras saw that Kirito and Asuna were not far behind them, either. _Good_ , he thought. _I hope we don't need the back-up, but it sure wouldn't hurt._

They dashed out into the square to see all of the people looking up at the local bell tower. At first, they didn't understand what the commotion was about, but it wasn't too long before they saw the fully armored man hanging by a rope slung under his shoulders- and the red blade thrust through his chest.

"What's going on up there?" Sachi wondered.

"We need to cut him down before he gets killed!" Asuna snapped.

"He won't die, the town is a safe zone," Mataras reminded her.

The glare he received in response would have been enough to freeze magma. "So we should just leave him up there?" Asuna snarled. The Red Swordsman sighed heavily in response.

"Get BACK!" Mataras bellowed. He dashed forward, drawing his sword as he did, eliciting cries of surprise from the crowd. Litrosh leaped off of his shoulder so that he could move freely. He let out a savage war cry as he leaped high into the air, intending to slash the rope as he came close to the victim.

But before he could reach the man, Mataras saw his eyes widen in terror and pain- right before dissolving into thousands of green-and-blue pieces. The swordsman was so surprised, he barely timed his collision with the wall correctly, planting his feet on the stones and springing himself at the ground, where he rolled into somersault to break his momentum.

He sprang to his feet a second later and glared at the crowd. "The winner's icon!" he shouted. "Where is it?!" Looking around, nobody had the icon on them that would declare them the victor of a duel. And everyone's icons were green, indicating that they were law-abiders. Which must mean…

"Asuna! Kirito!" Mataras barked. "The killer must be in the tower! Don't let him get out!" Not bothering to argue with him right now, Asuna took off immediately with Kirito, because she knew he was right: the killer had to be caught.

Mataras went over to see that the murder weapon was now stuck in the ground, dropped there when it fell from the remains of its victim. He picked it up and physically examined it, but there wasn't anything he could tell that was unusual about it, other than the design. Although, since he wasn't a smithy or a merchant, that didn't mean too much.

He stored the item in his inventory just in time for Asuna and Kirito to appear on the balcony of the bell tower. "There's nobody in here!" Asuna called down, a heavy frown fixed on her face.

Mataras' blood ran cold at that. _Nobody in there… Then…_ "The killer must have used a teleport crystal!" he called back up.

"Or it was an NPC that just got killed," Sachi said as she stood next to Mataras. "It could have just been an event for that sword to drop." Her calm, quiet words cut through the fear that Mataras had begun to feel.

He sighed quietly in relief and dropped a hand on Sachi's shoulder. "You're probably right," he said as he rubbed the sweat from his brow. "Thanks, Sachi. I probably would have started interrogating these onlookers if not for you." He grinned weakly as he gestured at the confused onlookers.

"Um…" a timid, hesitant voice said as its owner stepped forward.

"Yes?" Mataras said as he turned to look at a girl with long, purple hair and deep blue eyes. "Do you know something about this?"

"Yes…" she said, trembling. "My name is Yolko. The man who just died… His name in Kains. We came in for dinner tonight, and then… We got separated… And…" She began to cry as Sachi went to comfort her.

"Man?" Mataras repeated. "Not an NPC?" Yolko could only nod as she continued to mourn her friend. And suddenly, that chill in Mataras' spine was back as though it had never gone away in the first place. "Oh dear…"

* * *

Asuna volunteered to help them with the investigation after the group had finished taking Yolko to her hotel room. "I'll contact the Commander and let him know of the situation so none of us take any heat for all of this," she explained.

As soon as she turned away, Mataras muttered in an undertone to Sachi, "What is it with Asuna? How many times am I going to have to remind her that we don't answer to anyone on the assault team?"

"I think she's trying to be nice, Mataras," Sachi replied in the same voice. "Yeah, we're not part of their guild, but we'd still get a lot of hate from the majority of the assault team if they thought we were slacking off."

"I could care less what they think of me," Mataras snorted. "Many of them go out of their way to avoid us. Not to mention there's a good chunk of them that hate 'beaters' already, so it's not like our good deeds will change their opinion of us."

Sachi just sighed and rolled her eyes. She knew better than to try to argue with Mataras once his mind was made up. No amount of arguing or debating would change his opinion of other people.

Asuna walked back into their midst, having sent the message to her commander. "Alright, what next?" she asked.

"Let's start with what we know," Mataras suggested. When nobody objected, he began listing off several points. "We heard a scream, ran outside to the square, and saw the victim being hung from the tower with the sword already in place. Later, Yolko said that she thought she saw somebody in a dark cloak walking away into the tower. So the most likely occurrence is that the victor of the duel used a crystal to make his or her escape."

"Yeah, but there's something that you're all forgetting here," Sachi interrupted. When everyone looked at her with puzzled glances, she elaborated, "Even if we couldn't see the winner's _icon_ , a general announcement should have showed up where the duel began and lasted long enough for Kirito and Asuna to have seen it. But neither of you found anything."

"So if a duel wasn't involved…" Kirito began.

"Then someone is figuring out how to use the system to kill inside of a safe zone- while the victim is awake," Asuna finished, clearly disturbed by their thoughts. "Just as though they were in the field. Great."

"Who would be behind something like this, though?" Sachi wondered aloud.

"The Laughing Coffin," Mataras said immediately. "Those psychopaths… If anybody could figure out how to kill in a safe zone, it'd be them."

Kirito nodded with his hand on his chin. "That makes sense," he agreed. "But Laughing Coffin typically does hired work. It's not like them to just kill somebody unless there's a profit in it. So we're onto a different question: who would want this to happen?"

"Hm…" Asuna muttered. "What if we took the weapon that was used to a specialist and let them appraise it? See who made it. That would give us a good start."

The others nodded in agreement- it was a sound idea. "Do you know somebody, Asuna?" Sachi asked.

"Yeah, but she's kind of far from here," the girl replied with a slight frown.

"That's all right," Kirito said with a wave of his hand. "We know somebody with a pretty good appraisal skill level. You know Agil, right?" When Asuna confirmed that she did, they all decided to head over to his shop before it closed for the night.

* * *

"Hey, look at what the cat dragged in," Agil grinned as the small guild stepped into his shop. "How's it goin' guys?"

"We need a favor," Mataras said bluntly, not in the mood for puns.

Seeing his lack of usual politeness towards his friends, Agil frowned slightly. That meant that Mataras was worried about something, and if that was the case, most people would be hiding under the covers at home. "All right," he said. "Lemme close up shop, and we can talk then."

"Sounds good," Kirito nodded. "Thanks, Agil." The four of them moved in closer to the stand, giving Agil a better look at who was accompanying them.

The large man let out a gasp of surprise before grabbing Kirito over the counter and dragging him on top of the wood. "What's the matter with you?!" he could be heard saying. "You're part of the Black Cats! Why are y'all hangin' around with Asuna?!"

"We're working on a case together," Mataras said firmly. "Now can we get the shop closed up? This is rather important." Still looking slightly disgruntled, Agil released Kirito and set about packing in his wares while the Black Swordsman shut and locked the door.

"Um, Mataras?" Sachi asked hesitantly. "Where's Litrosh?" She felt bad that she hadn't noticed the little dragon's absence until just now.

"Oh, I sent him home to guard our house since we might be gone for a couple of days," Mataras replied easily. "He's fine, don't worry. He's a higher level than anyone that would be down on floor two, anyways. He'll do just fine against intruders. Plus, I'll get an alert if he's in trouble, and then I can just teleport home if I need to."

"Oh," she sighed with relief. "Okay. I was worried there for a minute."

"That's very kind of you," Mataras said with a faint smile. "But don't worry about him. Like I said, his level is sufficient enough for him to take on most robbers. Not to mention, most people- especially on floor two- wouldn't want to go up against a fire dragon."

"True," Sachi smiled.

* * *

About ten minutes later, the group was settled in the back room, where Mataras produced the blade in question. Agil took it with an intrigued look and accessed his appraisal skill. Once he was able to get the information out it, he shook his head.

"You're gonna love this," he muttered. "It's called Guilty Thorn. It's player-made, by some guy named Grimlock. Never heard of him before.

"It's a very fine quality weapon- in fact, you could probably go through most of the game with a sword like this, but there's nothing on the added effects list that says anything about letting ya kill in a safe zone." He handed it back to Mataras.

The black-haired boy seemed to glare at it for a moment before reversing his grip on it. "Only one way to tell that for certain," he said right before he stabbed at his hand.

Sachi let out a small yelp of fright and stopped the motion by grabbing his wrist right before the tip of the blade made contact with his hand. "What are you doing?!" she shouted in an unusually loud voice. "That thing has already killed one person! And I don't need any more friends dying on me!" Mataras felt as though he had been struck in the gut when he saw a tear running down his friend's face.

She yanked the weapon away from him and held it out of his arm's reach. "Don't you know what you dying would do to me?" she asked in a pleading voice.

"Sachi…" he said, his voice soft. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if it would penetrate the skin. If it did, then that means that the safe zone effect would be neutralized by the blade. If not, then something else is going on here." He held his hand out for the sword back, but Sachi refused to give it.

Mataras noticed that the others were looking decidedly uncomfortable, so he decided to try something else. "Sachi, we need to talk," he said as he stood. "Give the sword to Kirito, and then meet me outside." Without waiting for a response, he strode out into the night air.

A few moments later, he heard Sachi step out with him, so he turned to face her. "I'm sorry I scared you," he said. "But you should know me well enough by now to know that I'd never put my life at risk unless it was to protect Kirito or you."

"I know…" she mumbled. "It's just… I miss my friends so much, and you're all that I have left now. You and Kirito." The tears began to spill steadily now. "And I… I can't stand the… thought of… losing you… too…" She began to cry, and he seized her in a tight embrace.

"Believe me," he said in a tight voice. "I know the pain of losing those that you love better than most. And sometimes it hurts so badly that I want to jump off the edge of Aincrad myself. But…"

"But what?" Sachi asked as she looked up to see Mataras with a single tear sliding down his own face, shocking her enough to make her jaw drop. She had never seen Mataras so sad before, ever. She had seen him angry, happy, annoyed, amused, and in whole other variety of moods, but never sorrowful.

"But… you," Mataras managed to say past the lump in his throat. "You remind me of someone very dear to me… Someone I loved very much… Someone I failed to protect."

"Who was it?" Sachi asked.

Mataras trembled violently, as the memories that he had tried to repress came to the fore. Looking down at the girl in his arms, he could only say: "Victoria… Sister." Then he collapsed from the strain.

* * *

When he awoke, he was in an unfamiliar setting. Bolting upright, he tried to make sense of his surroundings, his sleep-addled brain not totally up to full steam yet. It took him a moment, but he finally remembered collapsing the previous night and-

"Good mornin'," a deep, familiar voice said. Agil walked in, and Mataras realized that he must have spent the night in Agil's house. "How're ya feelin'?"

"Terrible," Mataras muttered with a scowl. "How long was I out? Where is everyone?"

"Kirito said that he was gonna leave you a message telling you what was happening," Agil shrugged. "Said something about following up with a girl named Yolko."

"When did they leave?" Mataras demanded as he threw the bedsheets off and stood up.

"A couple a' hours ago," Agil replied. "Shouldn't you get some breakfast before you go running off, man? You'll start losin' health points if you go too long without a meal."

"I'll eat on the way," Mataras said as he equipped his items for the day. "Thanks for letting me use your bed. I'll pay you back once we finish this case."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Agil said with a wave of his hands. "Kirito paid in advance."

* * *

Mataras caught up to his friends while they were on their way to Yolko's hotel room. Asuna and Sachi were escorting the girl while Kirito went to go fetch a lancer from the Holy Dragon Alliance by the name of Schmidt.

When he asked why they needed somebody from the Alliance, Sachi and Asuna took turns explaining how Yolko had once been in a small guild called the Golden Apple. The guild had been led by a woman named Griselda, a strong, capable warrior.

But when the guild found a rare drop item, they bickered over what to do with it, until it was put to a vote and the item was to be sold. However, when Griselda left to sell the item, she never returned, and she was later pronounced dead according to the Wall of Life on the first floor. Since nobody outside the guild had known about the item as far as anyone knew, each member began to suspect the other of murdering their leader, and the guild eventually disbanded, starting with Griselda's in-game husband: a player named Grimlock.

Devastated by the loss of his wife, he had publicly cursed everyone before leaving the guild and becoming a private smith, explaining how he would have been able to make the Guilty Thorn blade. Soon after him, Schmidt left to join the Holy Dragon Alliance, while everyone else went their separate ways for the most part.

Yolko and Kains were the only ones left that were still on good terms, although she did mention that she kept in touch with Schmidt from time to time. But to this day, it was still unclear exactly what had happened to Griselda.

"So why are we calling Schmidt over?" Mataras asked again once they had finished telling him the backstory. They had reached the hotel room, and Yolko was using the restroom.

"Because when they voted on what to do with the ring that was dropped, they voted whether to sell it or to keep it," Asuna replied. "The vote was five in favor of selling it as to avoid who should get to use it, while three of them wanted to keep it."

"Yolko and Kains were two of the three that wanted to keep the ring," Sachi explained.

"And Schmidt was the third, right?" Mataras finished. When the girls nodded, he said, "So what does Yolko think is happening?"

"She thinks that Grimlock is using some sort of skill to take his revenge on the people that voted to keep the ring, since they would be the most suspect in her murder," Asuna replied. "And I would agree with her, but given what Agil told us, that isn't possible."

Mataras put his fist on his chin, and furrowed his brow. "I'm tempted to play the devil's advocate and say that anything is possible, but I have a feeling you're right…" he muttered. "Still, the pieces are all here, even if we don't see them. The coveted ring, the murder, the death of Kains… But how does it add up?"

"There's another thing," Sachi said. "Something Kirito once told me. He said that the rules of SAO, as much as we don't want to admit, are essentially fair. There's certain rules that _can't_ be broken, like the safe zones."

"But somebody _is_ breaking them," Mataras sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off a headache. "Questions are who, and how?"

"It just _doesn't_ add up," Asuna agreed. "We must be missing something… Maybe Schmidt can help us out, tell us something we haven't heard from Yolko."

"That's probably our best bet right now," Sachi agreed with a nod. "Hopefully he can help us put this whole puzzle to rest." The room was silent for a moment before Sachi tugged on Mataras' arm and said, "Come with me for a minute."

He left the room with her, trusting Asuna to keep a watchful eye out for anything that might harm Yolko. When they stood outside, Mataras waited for Sachi to speak, saying nothing while he waited.

"So… I remind of your sister?" she asked timidly.

Mataras visibly flinched at the subject, and he replied quickly in a tight voice, "I do not wish to discuss this matter."

"Is that why you took me in?" the girl pressed.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," he repeated, paling.

"Just answer my question," Sachi replied.

"I don't want to," he said, paling further. He seemed to tremble slightly as he spoke.

"Please, Mataras," she begged. "If that's why you took me in, I don't want to do her legacy any harm in your mind. I want to know who I remind you of, what she was like."

"Perhaps I will tell you someday," Mataras said. "But not while the pain is still so fresh in my mind... Not while her death haunts my nightmares, not while I cannot find solitude or rest in my sleep."

Sachi seemed to sag slightly with disappointment, but she nodded. "Okay," she said. "I hope you do tell me someday. I'd like to know about her… Victoria was it?"

Mataras cringed but forced himself to nod. Before Sachi could go back inside, Mataras reached out and grasped her shoulder as she turned around. "Sachi," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked as she turned around.

"For putting you in a difficult position," he replied. "You have enough problems to worry about without listening to me gripe."

"Mataras…" she said softly right before hugging her companion. "That's why I'm here. This is what friends are for."

"Friends…" he mumbled as he weakly returned the embrace.

* * *

Schmidt was in a panic, that much was clear. The Moonlit Black Cats along with Asuna and Yolko had described everything that had transpired the previous day, as well as explained their theory that Grimlock was likely getting his revenge somehow.

"So that's what this is about…" he finally muttered. "But why did Grimlock wait so long? Why now?!" His voice began to crack with fear.

"Calm down," Mataras commanded. He seemed even more on edge than usual, Kirito thought to himself. "Panic will get you nowhere."

"But why?!" Schmidt repeated. He looked up at Yolko, who remained had calm throughout the whole ordeal. "How can you be okay with this, Yolko? How can you be okay with Kains being killed by some stupid vendetta?"

"Grimlock's wife was murdered," Mataras snorted. "I doubt that he's thinking very clearly right now, if at all."

"If Grimlock is really behind this, then he's put quite a bit of thought into it," Kirito countered. "He must have had a reason for targeting Kains. Schmidt, can you think of any reason that would set Kains apart from you two? As I understand it, you three were the ones that wanted to keep the ring, so the three of you share in an equal suspect."

Schmidt seemed to think for a moment before shaking his head. "No," he said heavily. "I don't have any ideas at all. In fact, I find it strange that he would target Kains before Yolko or I."

"What do you mean by that?" Yolko asked, sounding offended.

"Well, remember how Kains was the one to get the item to drop?" Schmidt asked. When Yolko nodded, he continued, "Well, even though he got the item drop, he immediately gave it to Griselda, saying that she should have it since she was the leader. He never had any intentions of keeping it, even from the start."

"Then…" Yolko let out a gasp and began to tremble violently.

"Yolko…?" Asuna asked, eyeing her nervously. "What's the matter?"

"It all adds up now," she said. "Grimlock was never behind Kains' murder. He may have made the weapon, but a player still can't kill in a safe zone."

"What's your point?" Mataras asked, shifting uneasily.

"My point is…" Yolko's eyes widened as she screamed out, "It must have been Griselda's GHOST! She's back from the grave to kill those that turned against her! Kains was first! Schmidt and I will be next! We betrayed her! We killed her! We-"

"YOLKO!" Mataras bellowed, cutting her off. The girl was so surprised at the sudden volume, she stumbled backwards to rest against the open windowsill. "Screaming and ranting about ghosts is not going to get us anywhere! So get ahold of yourself!"

"But she's right," Schmidt said, his armor making audible clanking sounds as he began to tremble as well. "Players can't kill in a safe zone unless it's a duel… But a ghost isn't bound by those rules… We're gonna die… Griselda's gonna kill us now… We're gonna die…"

"Now look at what you did!" Mataras snarled, turning back to face Yolko. Do you realize what-" His voice died in his throat as the girl suddenly sagged and turned around to lean heavily on the windowsill. There, in her back, was a black dagger.

"Oh crap," Kirito muttered. Then Yolko fell out the window, hitting the ground and dissolving into thousands of shards, leaving behind only the dagger to clatter onto the street. Both Mataras and Kirito looked down at the sight with shock plastered on their faces.

"Kirito?" Asuna asked as she moved closer to the window. "Is Yolko okay?"

"I'm not a healer," Mataras said when Kirito didn't reply. "But I don't like her chances."

* * *

 **Asuna: Why did you make me sound like the bad guy in the author's note?!**

 **Mataras: First of all, I didn't. Second of all, even if I had, you really can;t say that you're surprised- I'm a clearly messed-up individual.**

 **Kirito: That's an understatement...**

 **Mataras: What was that?**

 **Kirito: Nothing!**

 **Sachi: Is this segment mostly to see you three argue?**

 **Mataras: Basically, yeah. But from time to time, there will be some teasers and tidbits.**

 **Asuna: Like...?**

 **Mataras: Next chapter, you'll see what I have in mind for the Laughing Coffin guild.**

 **Kirito: Whoa now.**


	6. Foggy Murders

**A/N: As I mentioned previously, this chapter will not only feature the conclusion to 'Murder in the Safe Zone' mini-arc, but my own solution for dealing with the Laughing Coffin. Enjoy, and please leave a review once you have red the chapter with your thoughts, be they criticism or praise.  
**

* * *

Foggy Murders

Mataras and Kirito both looked up to the rooftops, driven by the same instinct. Their keen eyes sought out whoever must have thrown the knife, and their instincts did not disappoint. A black-cloaked figure with a hidden face, stood a number of rooftops away.

"Keep an eye on him!" Kirito shouted as he leaped from the windowsill to the next roof. Mataras was quick to follow, much to the frustration of their female partners. They were quickly gaining on the cloaked figure, despite their attempt to make a break for it.

"Take point," Mataras said as he leaped to a separate rooftop. Kirito wasted no time in throwing a trio of darts that he always kept at his belt at the retreating figure. To his frustration, they darts were deflected by a number of purple hexagons, indicating that the safety was still in effect for this player.

Mataras was slightly faster than Kirito, and he was getting ready to close in on the runner when he saw a flash of blue. _Is that a teleport crystal?_ He wondered. Then the town bell began to gong, and the figure vanished with a flash of light.

Both Kirito and Mataras stopped running at this point, anger etched on Mataras' face, and puzzlement on Kirito's. Mataras leapt over to meet his partner with the words, "So much for our lead."

"No, I think they may have given us more than they realized," Kirito said, almost to himself.

"How do you mean?" Mataras asked curiously.

"I'll wait to explain for when we get back to the girls," Kirito replied. On the way back, Kirito picked up the dagger that had impaled Yolko, and decided that from the way it was designed, it was probably made by Grimlock as well.

* * *

They were surprised when they opened the door to find a rapier being pointed at Kirito, held by Asuna, who looked angry. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she demanded.

"Sorry," Kirito mumbled. "We kind of had to make it up as we went. But still…" He slammed his fist against the wall, resulting in a purple hexagon that read 'immortal object'. "How is this possible?" he growled to himself. "The system is supposed to protect players inside the safe zones. How is this happening?"

"I thought you had something figured out?" Mataras demanded. "Something to go on?"

Before Kirito could reply, Schmidt said in a shaking voice, "That was… Griselda's robe… That must have been her ghost… Yolko was right… She's come back to get revenge…" He sounded like he was about to cry from his fear. "A player can't kill in a safe zone… But a ghost…? They don't have rules like us…"

The Cats and Asuna could see that he was close to snapping, and decided that it would be best for him to go back to his guild, away from the killing ground that had once been a safe zone. He agreed, but with great reluctance, shaking and babbling the whole time about how he was next to be targeted.

* * *

As they walked through the town square, Kirito finally opened up about what had been bothering him. "There are two things wrong with this picture," he began. "The first is, why would a ghost need a teleport crystal? How would they get ahold of it? That doesn't make any sense to me.

"The second thing is the rules of SAO. Although I've said it before, and I hate to admit it, the rules in Aincrad are essentially fair. So nobody should be able to just kill people in a safe zone as they choose, unless maybe they were the GM. The system protects us in the safe zones just as much as it tries to beat us in the field. There shouldn't be any biases in the game."

The others were silent as he spoke, and afterwards. He was right on both accounts, so there had to be another element at play here. But how could a player kill in a safe zone if they weren't a being from beyond the Nether?

The group stopped at a fountain to get something to eat for dinner. "Wait here while I get some food," Mataras said.

"No need," Asuna said as she opened her menu. "I figured that we might not have enough time to get something, so I brought these along." She passed out a number of sandwiches, much to her teammate's surprise. "What?"

"Did you make these?" Kirito asked.

"Yeah," Asuna said as she bit into her own meal. "The durability is gonna wear out soon, so make sure you eat it fast."

"Oh, sure," Kirito said. He took a bite, and was surprised by what he tasted. "This is really good," he exclaimed. "For a Vice Commander, you rock."

Asuna ignored the compliment and focused on eating her sandwich. Sensing the emerging tension, Mataras and Sachi did likewise. _Too bad Litrosh can't try this_ , the Dragon Master thought to himself. _This really_ is _good._

Oblivious as usual when it came to social situations, Kirito pressed on to say, "I mean, if you weren't in a guild, you could make a killer living off of- Yipe!" The cry was drawn out when Asuna shot a glare at him, causing him to drop his meal. The sandwich hit the ground and shattered into tiny pieces.

"Aw…" Kirito moaned as he slumped down on all fours where the sandwich had been. When he stayed that way, and an inaudible sound seemed to come from his mouth, Asuna cocked her head at him.

"Are you crying?" she asked.

"SHH!" he hissed. Snapping his head up, he looked up at Mataras with a strange look in his eyes. "I was right!" he exclaimed "I- no, we- didn't see anything. We just thought we did!"

"What are you talking about, Kirito?" Sachi asked as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"The system doesn't allow kills in a safe zone," he replied as he straightened. "Our health points can't hit zero in a safe zone, no matter what. But the durability of an _object_ can still be depleted."

Mataras suddenly clicked on where his friend was headed with his theory, and everything made sense to him, finally. "When an object shatters, it looks a lot like when a player dies…" he said almost to himself.

"What are two dunderheads going on about?" Asuna demanded.

"Kains," Kirito said. "Back in the square, when the sword was through his chest. His armor's durability would've been wearing out, and when it broke, all he would have to do was use a crystal to vanish, and making it look like he died."

"But what about Yolko?" Sachi said with a frown. "We saw her get hit with the knife."

"Did we?" Mataras challenged. "Think about it. You said that Yolko went into the restroom to wash up, alone. When she came out, did she turn her back to you, even once?" When both Sachi and Asuna remained silent, he said, "I thought so. All she had to was _act_ like she was hit by our ghost- probably Kains dressed like Griselda."

"But why?" Asuna asked. "Why go to all this trouble?"

"Schmidt," Kirito answered immediately. "Remember how Yolko recounted the vote? Schmidt was one of the people that voted to keep the ring. Kains and she must have pegged him for the murder. And once they had him convinced that Griselda was out to get revenge, he might make a mistake and reveal his part in the murder."

"His part?" Asuna repeated.

"Yeah," Kirito nodded. "I doubt that he could have killed her by himself. She was the strongest member in the guild, so he probably had help."

"I'm going to argue with you there," Mataras interrupted.

"You think he did it himself?" Sachi asked.

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I don't think he killed her at all. He just doesn't seem like that kind of person. But he may have inadvertently played a part in it… Hmm…"

"What is it?" Asuna asked.

"Nothing," Mataras replied. "I just feel like I'm still forgetting something… eh, it doesn't matter now. We did our job: we found out who was behind the 'murder in the safe zone."

"Wait a minute," Sachi said with a frown. "What about Grimlock?"

"What about him?" Kirito asked.

"Well, Griselda was his wife, and he made the sword, and probably the knife, too," she said, her frown deepening. "So why wasn't he on this more?"

"What do you mean?" Kirito replied. "He was the one that made the weapons, so it sounds like he was pretty involved in this whole thing."

"It just doesn't seem right," Sachi insisted. "I mean, wouldn't he be the most eager to get revenge on the person that killed his wife? Why shouldn't he fake his death, too? Try and pass off as another ghost that wanted revenge? But we haven't seen him once this whole time."

Mataras put his hand to his chin, deep in thought once again. "You have a point," he said. "His actions don't make any sense if he was really as in love with Griselda as Yolko made him out to be."

"So what, now Grimlock is our suspect?" Asuna said sarcastically.

"Maybe," Mataras said seriously. "Tell me, Kirito. What happens to player's storage when they get married?"

"They get shared inventory," Kirito recalled. "Which means…"

"It doesn't matter who killed Griselda," Mataras finished. "The ring would automatically go to Grimlock, the psychopath." His voice was laced with pure venom at the end of his words.

"You guys are serious, about this, aren't you?" Asuna said.

"Dead serious," Mataras nodded. Fixing his intense gaze on the Lightning Flash, he said, "Open up your menu. See if you can still find Yolko on your friend's list." Asuna did as she was told, albeit with a bit of grumbling about being given orders.

When she had the other player up on her menu, to her surprise, she reported, "It looks like she's on the nineteenth floor at some sort of cemetery."

"Schmidt is there, too," Kirito added, scanning his own friend's list. "And I'd be willing to bet that Kains is there with them. Looks like they're about to get a 'confession' from the wrong guy."

"Then why are we still here?" Asuna demanded. "Let's go find them and tell them what's happening here!"

"I thought you didn't believe us," Mataras said a trifle smugly.

"Shut up," she growled. "Much as I hate to admit it, your theory makes more sense now that we know Yolko is alive."

"Why do you hate to say it?" Kirito asked curiously.

"I hate admitting that I'm wrong, especially to him," Asuna replied with a jerk of her head towards the Red Swordsman. "Ruins my image."

"There is one more thing we need to discuss while we're on the way there," Mataras added. "Let's get going." He handed the last of his sandwich to Kirito as he started walking with Sachi towards the town's teleport gate.

* * *

Not a half hour later, Mataras leaped off of the rearing horse he had been riding while Kirito fell off the back. Just as he'd thought, there were three red players standing over Schmidt, Yolko, and another man he assumed was Kains. All of them were under a massive tree that had a grave marker at its roots. Once Kirito was on his feet, they both drew their blades, one with a red guard, and the other, black.

From the skull-like masks, the black robes and weapon choices, it would have been easy to identify the players as members of the Laughing Coffin- the criminal guild that specialized in assassinations, and the ones responsible for inventing the murder method of sleep-kills.

"Why am I not surprised to see monsters like you involved in this?" Mataras snarled. "Where's your boss?"

"Sorry kid, but we're known for having closed lips," the one with a butcher knife replied coolly. "Usually because we're the ones keeping 'em closed." He and his two cohorts began to advance on the young blade masters.

"If you guys wanna stick around in a brawl that involves thirty members of the assault team, come and get some," Kirito said as he and his partner took their signature stances. "They're on their way right now."

The three murderers hesitated. They were fairly confident that they could win a fight against two teenage boys, even from the assault team. But an entire group was a different matter altogether. They quickly sheathed their weapons and walked into the fog without another word. It was time to cut their losses and go home.

Kirito and Mataras sheathed their own blades, with Mataras administering an antidote crystal to Schmidt. "So, what did we miss?" he asked.

"Wh- what do you mean?" Yolko asked in a dry voice.

"How did Schmidt tie into all of this?" the Red Swordsman said as he helped the lancer to his feet. "How was he involved in Griselda's death?"

In response, Kains had Yolko play a recording of Schmidt confessing to programming a crystal that would bind itself to Griselda's inventory, so someone could get into her room without her permission. It also covered how the lancer never knew that the intent was for Griselda to die, only have her robbed. The guilt and shame was all too clear in his voice, so Mataras nodded to himself once the recording was over.

"I should arrest you for conspiring to assault an individual," Mataras said as he glared at Schmidt. "But we have more important business to take care of."

"What do you mean?" Yolko asked. "Schmidt may not have killed her, but even he didn't know who her killer was."

"Then it's a good thing we do," Mataras countered.

"Kains, Yolko, level with us," Kirito said before they could start asking questions. "You had Grimlock make you those weapons, right? You told him your plan?"

"Yes, but he was against it from the start," Yolko replied. "He said that he just wanted Griselda to rest in peace. It wasn't until we got down on our knees and begged him for his help that he finally agreed to help us find Griselda's killer."

Mataras and Kirito both shook their heads, disappointed. This confirmed Mataras' theory even further. "Sorry, but he had a different reason for not wanting this to be investigated," Kirito said, turning to face the trees to his right. "Right, Asuna?"

"You guys called it," she said as she walked out of the fog with a man dressed in black, although much more cleanly than the Laughing Coffin members. Her rapier was pointed at his back, and Sachi was walking to his right with her own blue-and-silver sword drawn, ready in case he tried anything funny.

"Hello, comrades," said Grimlock. "Long time no see."

"Y-you killed Griselda?" Yolko gasped. When Grimlock's only response was to have his lips twitch upwards the barest amount, Kains had to restrain his friend from launching herself at him as she screamed, "How could you?! Was it because of the money?! Was the money so much that you'd kill your own _wife_?!" She collapsed into Kains' arms, sobbing. He and Schmidt were glaring at the man, whose smile had grown.

He chuckled a couple of times, until Asuna's rapier pressed into his back hard enough to start draining his health. "Money?" he said with a sigh. The rapier relaxed slightly as he began to talk. "Did you say money? Heh… No, money had nothing to do with it."

His eyes were cast downward, and sadness enveloped his face. "No… I had her killed because I had to. No matter what, I had to kill her while we were still in this game. I had to kill while she was my wife… Because she was my wife in the real world, too."

Everyone reacted with shock, even Mataras. What in the world was going through his sick, twisted head?

Seeing their faces, Grimlock decided to elaborate. "In a way, she was the perfect wife," he began. "So loving… So submissive. The whole time we were married, we never had a single fight. But then… we became trapped in here.

"She began to change, and there was nothing I could do about it. In here, she seemed more alive than she ever had in the real world, and I became the one afraid to step outside my own door. She changed, and the woman I loved was gone. Gone!" His face stretched into a terrible smile as he continued to explain his twisted reasoning.

"So I realized… If I couldn't have the woman I loved back, I'd just have to settle for the memory of her! Death _is_ a part of this game! Now I can cherish her memory forever!" For a long moment, no one spoke. No one knew what to say to this man, this monster.

When somebody did speak, it was almost in audible. "You…"

Everyone's gaze shifted over to Mataras, who was shaking with his eyes downcast and shoulders hunched. "You…" he said hoarsely. His eyes snapped up to reveal blazing silver orbs. "You… you sickening…" His sword was drawn. "Heartless…" The blade came up, and he began walking towards Grimlock. "Unfaithful…"

"Heartless?" Grimlock scoffed. "You're too young to understand, boy. When you find love, you'll do anything to keep it." He was so focused on the infuriated young man in front of him that he failed to notice Asuna and Sachi edging away from him.

The Moonlit Black Cats and Asuna had only seen this happen once before, and they that when it did happen, it was better to keep a distance when it did. Mataras had once been so consumed by his own rage that he had defeated a floor boss when everyone around him had been about to die. But when he was done, he hadn't stopped there.

During the fight, he had seen a player use his friend as a meat shield in order to retreat to safety. And once the floor boss was dead, the next to fall was the one that had sacrificed his friend to the floor boss.

He had been placed under house arrest for a month as a result, but they let him out after that because he was needed on the front lines again; and the assault team agreed, his actions had been somewhat justified.

Now it seemed that the same burning anger was threatening to take over him again. "You WRETCH!" he roared, charging forward. The first blow sliced off Grimlock's arm, surprising him. "No words in _any_ language have a foul enough word for those such as _you_!" Mataras shouted as he sliced off the corresponding limb.

"You have no love!" He shouted. "You only feel the desire to possess!" Grimlock's legs were quickly removed after that. He couldn't even cry out, he was so terrified. The sword began to rise, and Grimlock knew that his life was at an end.

Then something happened that no one expected. "Stop!" Yolko cried out. The sword froze in place.

"Mataras." Yolko's voice came from his left. Looking back, he saw the remains of the Golden Apple move to pick up Grimlock. "We really appreciate everything that you guys have done. But…"

"This is something that would be better left to us," Kains finished for her. "And yeah, thanks for your help." Grimlock didn't even protest in the slightest as Schmidt picked him up from the ground and slung him over his shoulder.

"Very well," Mataras nodded, his gaze still hard. "I would kill him if I were you, but… This judgement is not mine to give." He sheathed his sword and watched them go, though his face was still contorted with rage.

"Well," Kirito said slowly, "It's a good thing I don't have to arrest you again." Mataras shot him a glare, and the other boy decided to stay silent.

Realizing that he may have been too harsh, Mataras sighed and softened his gaze. "You have a point," he conceded. "Perhaps I shouldn't have acted the way I did. But I don't have it in me to watch murderers get off the hook so easily."

"I know, man," Kirito replied easily. "It's cool. But Laughing Coffin is starting to worry me."

"Starting to?" Mataras scoffed. "Why didn't they worry you before?"

"Let's discuss it over breakfast, huh?" Asuna interjected. "We should eat since we didn't get to finish our meal at the restaurant the other day."

"We should also get back to the front lines," Sachi added. "We've been away for a couple of days."

"Agreed," Mataras nodded. Before they could leave though, Asuna spoke again.

"Hey, Mataras, Kirito? And Sachi?" When they all turned to look at her, she asked, "If you married someone, and then they changed, how would you feel about it?"

Kirito and Mataras both stiffened with surprise, while Sachi just shrugged. She was still a couple of years younger than her teammates, and relationships held no interest for her yet. Eventually, Kirito answered, "Well… I guess if you married someone, and they changed… You married them because you already know what you liked about them… And if something changed that turned out to be a good thing, then that would be awesome?"

Mataras smiled slightly to himself at his friend. "You have a good head on your shoulders, Kirito," he said. "If a bit muddled, your words are as true as any wedding vows ought to be."

"What do you mean by that?" Asuna asked him.

"Exactly what I said," Mataras replied with a slightly smug smile. Then he stiffened, some buried instinct telling him to stay where he was. Turning around slowly, he saw a young woman standing in the light of the rising sun. She was beautiful, with delicate facial features and strong green eyes that seemed to smile. She was dressed in a dark robe, but underneath was a set of armor that matched her eyes perfectly. Somehow, without needing to be told, Mataras knew that this must be Griselda.

He grabbed Sachi's sleeve to force her to turn around. The young girl started to protest, but then she saw the figure, and her jaw dropped with a gasp, causing Asuna and Kirito to look back as well.

Regaining his composure, Mataras bowed to the woman and said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, "Rest in peace, Strong One. I bid you a happy life in eternity." The others looked at him for a second as he straightened, wondering why he was speaking to the ghost of a person that they had never met. But when they looked back, Griselda was gone.

"Come on," Mataras said as he began to walk away. "Let us leave the dead to their rest."

"Hey, guys?" Asuna said as they began to follow the red-cloaked warrior.

"What is it, Asuna?" Kirito asked.

"Do you wanna friend me? I mean, at this point, it'd be silly not to," she replied.

"But we're from different guilds, and-"

"Just think about it, while we eat, okay?" Asuna said as she patted Kirito on the arm. "No pressure, all right?"

"Uh… okay," was all that the young man could say. With that, the group headed back to town to get breakfast, a satisfied feeling in their hearts.

* * *

A grimy, black-cloaked figure let out a pained sound as he was thrown roughly into a dark room. He was bound hand-and-foot, with a well-placed gag on his mouth, muffling almost any noise he could make. It was a situation he had seen many times, but he'd never thought that he'd be in it himself.

The man was a player named Tabai, and he was a member of Laughing Coffin. As a matter of fact, he was in the leader's personal guard. So how he had been beaten to a pulp and then been kidnapped eluded him.

His kidnapper walked into the room and slammed the door shut behind him. His face was hidden by a dark cowl, but his mouth was easily visible, set in a grim line. "Time for us to have that talk we discussed earlier," his vibrant voice said.

* * *

"Mataras, why did you call this meeting on such short notice?" Asuna said as she yawned. They were in the usual meeting spot on floor fifty-nine, where the Moonlit Black Cats, the leaders of the Knights of the Blood-Oath, the best of the Holy Dragon Alliance, and the Furinkazan Guilds were all assembled in the middle of the night.

"I would like to know that as well," said an older man. His name was Heathcliff, and he was the Guild Master of Asuna's guild. He was arguably the strongest player in the game, and he rarely ventured into the company of others outside of his guild base except to participate in boss raids. Mataras' insistence on him being there meant that something big was about to happen.

"I know where the Laughing Coffin Headquarters are," Mataras replied, deadpanned. "And I plan to lead an assault to take them down. If I have my way, there will be no survivors."

This was met with an uproar of protests and counterarguments from virtually everyone in the room. "We can't do that!" Asuna cried.

"How can you suggest a mass murder?!"

"You wanna stoop down to their level?!"

"You wanna be the next Kayaba?!"

If they were tired before, they weren't anymore, Mataras thought to himself. Then he drew his sword from his back, slammed it on the table and roared, "SHUT UP! NOW!" His teammates were surprised that while everyone else quieted down, Guilty Thorn lay on the table, in his hand.

"First of all," he said with a smoldering glare, "I can suggest a _war of extermination_ because for every Laughing Coffin member we take out, we save ten, or even a hundred more lives. Second of all, I believe that all human beings who would kill others for money, or worse, for sport, deserve to die. And the third thing is that when I find Kayaba, the only association I'm going to have with him is with the business end of my sword here." And he sheathed his blade.

The others looked at him, stunned. Many of them began muttering amongst themselves, convinced that he was mental. That is, until one other player spoke up.

"Although I am loathe to admit it, your words do carry a bit of truth in them," Heathcliff said. "We cannot allow the red players to keep going as they please. And if everything we've done to capture their members up until now wasn't enough of a warning, then I say it may be time for their hour of reckoning."

"Commander!" Asuna gasped. "You can't be serious!"

"I wish I didn't have to be," Heathcliff said sadly. "But Mataras makes a valid point, Asuna. However, I cannot speak for everyone in my guild here, in this matter. I will support Mataras, but anyone in my guild that does not wish to participate in this attack will not have to. I can also understand that if you participate, you may want to take prisoners instead of killing them. I will suggest that we do so, but only at the risk of your own lives."

Silence reigned until Klein stepped up to speak. "We'll go," he said. "If some of you are willing to get your hands dirty for our sakes, I don't see why we shouldn't share in the blame."

"Thank you, Klein," Mataras said with a slight bow of his head.

"Don't thank me," the red-head said sharply. "I'm not looking forward to this."

Mataras nodded and said, "Believe me, I don't want to live with the blood of these people on my hands, but somebody has to. If it comes down to it in the real world, I will take the blame for our actions."

"Not alone, you won't," Kirito said. "I'm coming with you."

"And me," Sachi added, though her voice trembled.

"I'll go, too," Asuna sighed heavily. One by one, those that were present slowly agreed to add their support to the plan, though everyone was clearly uncomfortable about it.

This caused Mataras to nod to himself; this was how it should be. If they did not value life like this, they could easily end up replacing the Laughing Coffin, and the nightmare would only continue for the lower-level players.

Pulling up a holo-map, he showed them where he had scouted the guild's headquarters, and the best places to attack from. They were situated in a series of caves that were hard to navigate because of the fog that permeated the caves at all hours. When he was asked where he got the information, he simply replied that he'd paid off an informant. More than that, he refused to elaborate, although Kirito had a feeling that, knowing Mataras, foul play may have been involved.

 _I'll ask him personally, later,_ he decided. For now, they had to get back to the relatively simple matter of planning the destruction of a red guild. _I just hope that this doesn't destroy us, too._

* * *

 **Asuna: Hold on just a second! The commander didn't originally take part in the raid! What was with that?**

 **Mataras: I can be very persuasive when I choose.**

 **Kirito: He does have a point... Especially when he yells...**

 **Sachi: So next chapter, things are going to heat up quite a bit, aren't they?**

 **Asuna: Yeah, and I don't have a good feeling about this... Really hoping one of us doesn't get killed.**

 **Mataras: Pfft. We're the A-Team for crying out loud. We never die!**

 **Kirito: You are just inviting irony, aren't you?**

 **Mataras: Why not? Makes life more interesting that way.**


	7. Dragon Blood

**A/N: All right, here's the chapter where one of Mataras' first big secrets comes out in the open. I hope that not only you enjoy the chapter, but also find the reveal to be a good one. Please leave a review, and if you want to contact me, don't hesitate to message me!  
**

* * *

Dragon Blood

They were in the caves in their selected groups. It had been decided ahead of time that they would travel in groups of four, the exception being the Furinkazan Guild, who refused to separate from one another. As such, Asuna had elected to accompany Kirito's guild.

They were at the vanguard of the larger group, while Heathcliff took his best at the other position of maximum danger, the rearguard. If the Laughing Coffin somehow saw them coming, they would be likely to try an attack with a surprise from the rear.

"The last time I was here to do reconnaissance, they were all in a cleared zone just past those pillars," Mataras said, keeping his voice low. A cleared zone was a rare occurrence in the world of Aincrad where a spawning point had been cleared so many times that the system didn't generate mobs in that area anymore, so it might as well have been a safe zone, save for the fact that players could still die in them if a mob followed them there. Or if another player decided to attack them. "The camp itself is pretty shabby, but I-"

"Look out!" Sachi screamed as she tackled Mataras out of the way from a flying knife. "Ambush!" she shouted at the rest of the people. The group instantly found themselves surrounded by fifty or so red players, all giggling and wielding nasty-looking swords and knives.

Mataras sprang to his feet and drew his sword from his back and spun it in a quick circle. He and his guild mates had gone on some dangerous quests specifically to acquire their current gear specifically for this mission.

The Black Swordsman was now dressed with a black coat that bore some white lines, called the Black Wyrm Coat. The shirt he wore underneath bore a silver crescent moon. His sword was a matching pattern, with a black blade and white edges: the Elucidator. Kirito was the white knight in black armor, ready to defend the players of Aincrad from those that would do them harm.

Sachi was now known as the Blue Swordmaiden, dressed in a blue jacket that buttoned together at the neck with mid-length sleeves and a hemline that fell down to her knees. Her garment bore a black crescent moon that was positioned just above her left breast. Her sword was a silver color with a blue, crescent-shaped cross guard: the sword known as the Moon Slayer. The rest of her clothes were also a dark blue, even her shoes. She was the angel that carried sorrow, ready to fight alongside her comrades, but bearing in mind those that had fallen.

Then there was Mataras- the Red Swordsman, armed with the blade, Guilty Thorn. His red jacket was made of what felt like light leather, open in the front with twin coattails that fell to his calves. His blood-red shirt bore the black crescent moon symbol of the guild, positioned on the middle of his chest. However, what set him most apart from anyone else present was the red-and-orange dragon perched on his shoulder, growling at the Laughing Coffin members.

But his eyes were perhaps the most frightening thing that many of his comrades had ever seen, though his enemies seemed unfazed. They were like twin tornado clouds: dark, yet flashing dangerously, waiting to be unleashed. He was the berserker warrior just waiting for the opportunity to unleash all of the pent-up rage that he had contained up until that point.

"Laughing Coffin," Asuna began. "We have you outnumbered with the intent of arresting you. If you surrender peacefully-" Needless to say, the red players weren't interested in surrendering peacefully. They attacked the assault team, forcing Asuna to stop talking and fight against the player-killers.

Mataras was nothing short of brutal in the encounter. To the shock of both friends and foes, his sword suddenly began to move in attack patterns all his own, unassisted and unrestrained by the game's skill engine. The sword didn't even glow as he moved between his enemies in ways that no one had even thought were possible. His dragon assisted him by distracting the murderers with fire breath attacks, causing them to take on burn conditions and dealing them some serious damage.

Whenever one of the murderers rose to challenge him, he beat them down and killed them without mercy or hesitation. Others yelled at him to stop the senseless violence, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. His primordial side was now in full control of his sword, and the violence he employed was tremendous.

* * *

Laughing Coffin started out with more than fifty members. By the time the slaughter was over, only ten remained alive, eight bound by ropes, and two of them having escaped. Kirito, Asuna, and Sachi were wiped, both physically and mentally. Mataras was the only one of the group still standing as he asked, "How many did we lose?"

"None," Klein said with relief as soon as he checked his menu. "We all made it."

"Good…" the boy said as he swayed, seemingly unsteady.

"Mataras?" Kirito asked as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The Red Swordsman seemed to shake himself from a thought and he nodded sharply. "I'm fine. Let's just get out of here."

As they walked out of the dungeon, Sachi approached Mataras to speak to him privately. "Mataras, how are you really feeling right now?"

The boy snorted, almost as if amused. "I feel fine," he replied shortly.

"I know that's a lie," Sachi shot back, surprising Mataras with her assertiveness. "I've known you long enough to know when something is bothering you."

"Hmph," he scowled.

"Are you regretting having to kill those people?" Sachi guessed.

The only response Mataras gave for a moment was to let out a short bark of laughter. "No," he finally said. "I regret none of my actions today. Those scumbags forfeited their right to live by trying to play God and decide who lives and dies. They needed to be killed, and I do not regret the need to excise them from this world."

"But aren't you doing the same thing by killing them?" Sachi challenged.

Mataras let out a hefty _sigh_ and muttered, "My morals may be different than the general population, but they are still in effect. People like Laughing Coffin lack morals of any kind. That is what sets us apart."

For a moment, Sachi was simply speechless. Then: "You've got to be one of the strangest people I've ever known. You are capable of so much kindness, and yet you can cut down another human being without even blinking."

"I don't pretend to be a righteous judge passing sentence," Mataras replied cryptically. "I simply see myself as Justice's weapon, meant to be swung at anyone that comes within the range of breaking the laws of the world. If nothing else, at least I have the stomach to do what everyone else hopes to do, but cannot bring themselves to accomplish because of their self-doubt, wondering if they are really justified."

"You may be right, Mataras, but I still can't believe that killing other people doesn't have any kind of effect on you," Sachi sighed. "I think that some part of you must have died in order for you to say those things, let alone believe them."

"You… are right about that," Mataras admitted. "Much of my heart died a while back, and now all I have left is the memories of what it once felt like to love someone more than anything, and to be loved the same way in return."

"We do love you, Mataras," Sachi replied instantly. "Kirito and I. We're family, us three, helping one another in this death game."

The ghost of a smile touched Mataras' lips, but his eyes were marked with grief. "I do appreciate you saying that, Sachi," he replied. "And I say this without any intention of offending, but it's not the same, really."

"The same as what?" Sachi asked in earnest.

"The same as… the love… my sister and I once shared together…" Mataras' words were barely audible.

"Oh…" Sachi said. "You mentioned her before a few times. And… You said that she had died. But… what happened to her? I know you said you didn't want to talk about it before, but maybe letting something out will bring some closure."

"No," Mataras said, his face paling like it had the last time Sachi asked about his sister.

"Mataras, you're scaring me," Sachi begged. "In some ways, you're becoming more open, but in others, it seems like you've become even colder than before, ever since I asked you about her."

"Please…" he said, his voice tightening further. "Just drop it."

"I can't, Mataras," Sachi said as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I said it before, and I'll say it again: I love you, like a dear brother. Please, let me be a sister to you. You took me in because I reminded you of Victoria. Let me keep reminding you of how much your sister loved you, even to the end."

"I don't know that she loved me at the end," Mataras smiled humorlessly, his eyes going dead as he spoke. "I'm the reason she was killed."

"What were her last words to you?" Sachi asked. "Just tell me that."

"She couldn't speak at the end," he said, his eyes shut tight as he stopped walking. "Her throat was cut open and she bled out. She died because she resisted the men holding us at knifepoint, because I was too afraid to act first. I was afraid that if I was to kill those men, then I'd be no better than them.

"But I killed them anyway," Mataras said. "I killed the three men that held us with their blades. If we weren't in the virtual world, I would show you the scar on the left side of my jaw, where the knife cut me. Victoria was unconscious by the time I was done with them, and by the time I got to the hospital, she was gone.

"The strange thing is, I don't care that I killed them now," Mataras said as he stared down at his hands. "I don't care if they had families or loved ones. I don't care if they were in a desperate place. I don't care if they were in a gang, or if a gang was forcing them to collect. The only person I cared about up until that point died that day. _That_ is my sole regret of my actions that day- that I was too slow to realize that sometimes inflicting death is necessary in order to protect those that you care about."

For a long moment, Sachi could say nothing at all. When she finally could speak again, it was a single question that she could manage. "So… What do you care about now?"

Mataras closed his eyes, and his face returned back to the grim mask he had been wearing. "I care… about you, Sachi," he admitted. "And Kirito. And, dare I say it, I even care about Asuna, too. But I know that if I lose anyone close to me again, what little is left of my heart will be drowned out in despondence- forever. And that is something I don't want.

"I just hope that somehow, someday, I can learn to share in regrets like the rest of you. Maybe then I'll feel… human again." Not a word was spoken by either of them after that.

* * *

Later on that day, it was decided that the assault team could take the rest of the week off. Many of them had been through extensive mental trauma during the assault, and the leaders of the guilds all agreed for once on the course of action.

The Moonlit Black Cats were each sitting on their chairs at the kitchen in silence. It was a long moment before Kirito finally stirred and said, "I hope we never have to do that again." He was obviously troubled by the actions that they'd had to take that day. Mataras guessed that it stemmed from him having to kill two players himself.

"Me neither," Mataras nodded. "I know that I was the one to suggest the raid, but I mostly did it because I didn't think anybody else would have the guts to do it."

"For what it's worth, I think you're right," Sachi said quietly. "But I still wish that we didn't have to do it." Neither one of them said anything about their earlier conversation. Both of them had an unspoken agreement that it would have to wait until later, as both sides of the argument were still dealing with some considerable pain, and it would not be wise to continue the debate in such an emotional state.

"We're the front lines," Mataras said with a dry smile. "We're supposed to do what everyone else is too scared to. Feels like we're either on a pedestal or the whipping dogs."

"Both titles come with drawbacks," Kirito muttered. "As beaters, people hate us. But take someone like Asuna, a fiercely attractive girl on the front lines, and she ends up with stalkers and the like."

"Hmm…" Mataras grinned slightly, as did Sachi.

"What?" Kirito asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"Nothing," the others said.

Before Kirito could press the matter any further, there was a knock at the door. The Black Swordsman got up to answer it, and was surprised to see Asuna standing there with a shy smile on her face.

"Hi there, Kirito," she said. "Is it okay if I come in for a bit?"

"Of course," he said after he recovered his composure. "How come you're down here on Floor Two?"

"I wanted to check on how you all were doing," she replied as she walked into the dining room. "We are a team, after all, aren't we?"

"Of course," Sachi said with a warm-yet-tired smile. "But now I feel bad that we didn't think to check on you today. Sorry, Asuna."

"Don't worry about it," the Lightning Flash replied easily. She sat down as Kirito pulled out a seat for her and said, "If you've been hanging out with these two for a while, you're bound to forget something unless it's a sword skill."

"Says the one that didn't even know how to tag team on the first boss raid," Mataras muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

"Says the one that forgets to pack his own lunch," Asuna shot back.

"Ms. Kettle? Miss Pot called- she says you're black," the Red Swordsman said with a raised eyebrow. "I seem to recall teaching you how to improve on the taste of bread back then. If anything, your pursuit of cooking is thanks to Kirito and I."

"Yeah, but nowadays, you guys are happy just not to burn water, Sachi says," the chestnut-haired girl retorted.

"Yeah, well…" Kirito muttered. "How else are we supposed to get you to come and visit us?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Kirito knew that he'd made a mistake. Asuna's face flared red and she reached across the table to slap the boy, only being prevented by the system's safety mode.

"Sorry!" Kirito protested. "That came out wrong!"

"Really?" Mataras smirked maliciously. "How else were you supposed to say that?" Asuna's glare shifted back to the boy in red, who kept his smirk in place. Kirito groaned to himself, clearly uncomfortable.

Sachi took pity on her teammates and got Asuna's attention by saying, "So, Asuna, what do you plan to do with your next few days?"

"I'm planning on getting my rapier repaired by a friend of mine tomorrow," the other girl replied. "Her name is Lisbeth, and she's really handy with her tools. I always got to her for weapons maintenance."

"She's better than an NPC?" Kirito asked curiously.

Asuna nodded, he previous annoyance forgotten. "She actually maintains my new rapier." Asuna patted her Lambent Light affectionately.

"Can she make swords?" Kirito was now very interested. "Good ones?"

"As long as she has the right materials," Asuna nodded again.

"Sweet," Kirito nodded. "I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Where is this shop, anyways? I'd like to check it out tomorrow, if it's cool with you guys."

"Sure," Asuna agreed with a small smile. "How about we meet up for lunch on floor forty-eight, and I'll take you there afterwards?"

"Yeah," Kirito nodded. "I think that sounds good. We may check out the town for a bit while we wait tomorrow, but we'll be at the town square by noon. We haven't really been there since we cleared out the dungeon on that floor." The group fell into a contented silence for a little while. However…

"Actually, one of the main reasons I'm here is to talk to you, Mataras," Asuna said, suddenly catching him off-guard. "What was that you did when we were fighting Laughing Coffin?"

"To what are you referring?" Mataras replied uneasily.

"I'm talking about how you killed more than twenty people without even activating a sword skill," Asuna shot back. "Come to think of it, you actually did the same thing when we faced Illfang together- you never once used a sword skill."

Mataras sighed, knowing he was caught. "All right," he said. "I will tell you the truth, so long as you swear not to speak of this to anyone else unless I reveal the information publicly." Asuna swore to keep his secret.

Mataras sighed heavily again and said, "When I first logged in… I was given an extra skill by random: Dragon Blood."

"What is that?" Asuna asked, extremely curious.

"It's a skill that disables all my other attack skills whenever I have it activated," Mataras began. "And then I can use my weapon and body however I want without using another skill. The damage I generate is calculated by how fast and hard I swing my blade, and where I hit my target. As far as I know, I'm the only one that has this skill."

Asuna's jaw was hanging open, and it took her a moment to find her voice. "Y-you're not bound by the system? How…?"

"Like I said, I don't know," Mataras replied with a shrug. "I just opened my menu the day of the launch and saw that I had the extra skill, and a message explaining everything I just told you. It also said that I had been chosen as 'the lucky one of ten thousand to wield the dragon's power'. It has a certain sense of irony, seeing as I ended up with a dragon familiar." He scratched Litrosh's belly as it slept on the couch behind him. "And before you ask, no, my having a dragon has nothing to do with this skill as far as I know."

"But… why would you…?"

"My guess is that Kayaba gave out this skill at random, much like he gave your commander the Divine Blade," Mataras replied. "And it does beg the questions: how many of these unique skills are there? And who else has them?"

* * *

"Kirito, are you sure that's wise?" Mataras murmured, checking over his shoulder to make sure that Sachi was really asleep. It was late at night, and Asuna had long since left. "Buy a new sword and then not even equip it? Somebody will raise their eyebrows at some point or another if you don't at least store the elucidator, especially Asuna. She already figured me out, so you're probably next if you're not careful."

Kirito shook his head firmly. "I'll be fine," he insisted. "Not that many people know that I'm going to be buying a new sword anyway. Just the four of us."

"Yeah, but not even Sachi knows about yours, and I only found out by accident, same as you." Mataras' frown was plain to see, even in the dark. "You should at least consider equipping your new weapon."

"I might," Kirito nodded. "It just really depends on whether or not it's better than my elucidator or not."

Mataras shrugged and fell back on the bed, his arm protectively laid on Sachi's shoulder. "It's your funeral if anyone else finds out," he muttered before he fell asleep.

"I could say the same about you," Kirito chuckled.

* * *

The next morning, the small guild decided to split up for a few hours and meet back up at the predetermined time. Mataras wandered around aimlessly, letting his feet choose their own path as they willed. His thoughts blurred with the memories of the deaths that he'd inflicted as he walked alone. He still felt no remorse for his actions, but he still feared that his friends might view him as some kind of sociopathic monster, especially Sachi, after their argument.

He had done what he had needed to do, and he kept telling himself that if he had to lose his friends, the lives that he'd saved would be worth it. _But would it, really?_ he wondered to himself, pushing the door open to a random shop.

As soon as he walked in, a cheerful voice called out, "Welcome to Lisbeth's Blacksmith Shop! Anything sharp is welcome to be sold or bought here!"

* * *

 **Kirito: Well... That was intense. But at least things ended on a light note, right?**

 **Sachi: True. And it seems that Mataras isn't the only one hiding something, right Kirito...?**

 **Kirito: Uh...**

 **Asuna: Oh come on! We all know what his ace trick is!**

 **Mataras: True, but it's still taboo to reveal future details like that one, even everyone already knows.**

 **Asuna: H** **ow does that even make sense?!**

 **Mataras: Who said it had to?!**

 **Asuna: I'm about to quit this segment!**

 **Sachi: I get the feeling that a lot of people would be disappointed by that...**


	8. Heat of Disaster

**A/N:** **In this chapter, we'll get to see Mataras and Lisbeth go on an adventure, and it might not be what you were expecting. Enjoy!**

* * *

Heat of Disaster

Mataras' eyes moved to fall on a short girl with hot-pink hair. She was standing by the door to her forge with a pleasant smile on her face. She looked to be about Mataras' own age, and she definitely showed signs of becoming a young woman. Her blacksmithing attire was also bright pink with a white smock. _So this is Lisbeth?_ He thought to himself. _What are the chances of that happening?_

"Good morning," he replied evenly to her greeting.

"How can I help you?" she asked as she walked a couple of paces closer.

"A friend of yours recommended your shop to me," Mataras replied. "And a friend of mine was looking to get a custom-order sword made, one-handed. He was going to come by himself, but I know what he's looking for, so I can get it for him now, if you have a sword made that's good enough."

"Um, okay…" Lisbeth said with a slight frown. "The thing is, metal prices are pretty high right now. But if you tell me what kind of quality you're looking for, we can get started if you have the funds."

"Money is not a problem," Mataras said with a slight shrug. "And I believe you're familiar with an elucidator?" Lisbeth's eyes widened at the mention of the rare sword.

"Y-you're friend wants one of those?!" she sputtered. "You do know that those only come off of monster drops, right? You can't make them, assuming they even really exist."

"No, he already has an elucidator," Mataras said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He's looking to get something just as good, or better than that."

Lisbeth's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but then they scrunched into a thoughtful frown. "Hold on," she said as she moved behind the counter. When she came back out, she held out a rapier that looked a bit like the Lambent Light to Mataras, but with a longer handle. "Try this- it's the best sword I ever made."

"Hmm…" Mataras mused as he grasped the handle and drew it with a lightning-fast movement. "It's very light."

"It should be," Lisbeth said proudly. "I used a metal that enhances speed to make it."

Mataras raised an eyebrow at the girl before he slid it back in the sheath and tossed it back her. "Not good enough," he said contemptuously. "I'll have to tell your friend that I'm looking for big boy weapons, not toothpicks. Hopefully she knows someone else that can get us something like that."

"Wha-?!" Lisbeth's enraged voice couldn't even formulate an articulate sentence for a moment. "You-! I-! You're saying my masterpiece is a _toothpick_?!" She was furious.

"No, you are right," Mataras said as he started to walk out. "Calling it a toothpick would be far too generous. A piece of straw might be a better way to describe it."

"Why, you-!" Mataras smirked to himself as he heard the sound of a sword being drawn. He knew that even if Lisbeth were to hit him with the blade, the system's safe zone would prevent him from being harmed.

 _Still, it's the thought that counts_ , he thought as he heard her rush up behind him. As soon as he heard her footstep fall a few feet behind him, he ducked under the wild swing that would have hit him in the neck. Spinning fast, he drew Guilty Thorn and spun it in a wide-yet-fast arc that ended after it had struck the rapier.

Or rather, through the rapier. Lisbeth froze in shock as she realized that she was now only holding a hilt with a bit of the blade attached. The rest of the sword was on the floor. Then both pieces shattered as Mataras spun his own sword in a reverse circle and sheathed it on his back. "I told you that thing wasn't even worth calling a toothpick."

Lisbeth let out a soundless scream before grabbing Mataras by the collar of his red jacket. "Why the hell did you do that?!" she shrieked. "That was my masterpiece!"

"Why did you attack me?" Mataras replied in a bored tone.

"Because you're a jerk!"

"I could say the same to you," the boy scoffed. "I'd have thought that you'd have a thicker skin if you're friends with Asuna."

"Yeah, well-" Lisbeth froze. "Wait, you know Asuna?"

"She's the one that told me about this place," Mataras nodded.

"Wait…" Lisbeth slowly backed away as it began to dawn on her. "You're not… _that_ Mataras, are you? The Red Swordsman?"

Mataras drew Guilty Thorn out a bit to show the red-and-silver design before saying, "None other. Besides, last I checked on the wall of history, I'm the only Mataras in the game." Then he slid his sword back into the sheath all the way.

Lisbeth paled. She'd heard stories about the Red Swordsman, about his merciless battling style, his ways of dealing with orange and red players, how even other assault team members feared him, and most recently, how he had led the assault against the Laughing Coffin guild. And if she had just attacked him…

Mataras saw her paling and smiled to himself, fairly certain of what was going through her head. "I think you now understand that throwing temper tantrums can be detrimental to your health," he said with a smirk. "That being said, good luck making better swords. This is a nice little shop you have- try to do it justice."

"Wait!" she said as he reached the door. "If I had the right materials, I know how to make a sword that you're looking for!" Mataras stopped with his hand on the doorknob.

"I'm listening," he said.

"If you help me go get the ore for it, I'll make you a sword as good as an elucidator," Lisbeth said. "But if this does happen, you're paying for both my masterpiece and the new sword."

Mataras chuckled to himself and turned back around to see a red-faced Lisbeth. "I'll pay you for the new sword its worth- same goes for your so-called masterpiece," he said. "And if I'm helping you get the material that means a price reduction."

"Fine!" Lisbeth snapped. "I don't even know why I'm helping you…"

"Probably because you know that getting a sword for Kirito gets Asuna points with him, and by putting up with me, you are helping out Asuna," Mataras chuckled. When Lisbeth froze up, Mataras smirked again and said, "Yes, I figured out that Asuna pointed this place out to us so that she could get closer to Kirito by getting him a good sword."

"Argh! Just shut up!"

"What? I'd say you also get something out of this," Mataras said.

"And what's that?! A broken sword?"

"Well, just imagine what would happen to your reputation if it was made known that not only the Lightning Flash that had her equipment maintained her, but that the Moonlit Black cats had one of their best swords made here," Mataras replied as he sent her a party invite. "You might have to hire an assistant with all the customer's you'll get."

Lisbeth accepted the invite as she muttered, "I can't tell if you're being serious or patronizing me…"

"Can I not do both?"

"Piss off!"

* * *

A few hours later, the pair was on its way up the mountain dungeon of floor fifty-five. Mataras had been joined by a small red dragon when they were walking through the town to the portal gate. Both of them sent messages to their friends stating where they would be going before setting off.

The wind wasn't harsh itself, but in the higher altitude the snow and sleet made it bitter cold. Lisbeth was shivering hard and muttering to herself when she felt something land on her head and obscure her vision. Something red- and warm. "What's this for?" she asked as she held Mataras' red jacket.

"I can't think with your teeth chattering like that all the time," Mataras replied as he kept walking. "Put it on."

Lisbeth was tempted to just toss the coat away, but it _was_ warm. She put it on and immediately felt better with the new piece of equipment on her shoulders. "Thanks, I guess," she muttered. "Are you going to be okay without this?" She noticed that he was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt on top now.

"Cold ceases to bother you when you have the right mindset," he replied. The dragon squawked as if in agreement.

"Even when he does something nice, he has to piss me off," she muttered to herself as she started walking to catch up. Clutching the coat around her, she said in an even softer voice, "This is warm, though."

* * *

They reached the area where the dragon was supposed to spawn two hours later with not another word having been spoke between them. The place a massive plateau riddled with ice crystals of all shapes and sizes, a truly beautiful sight. Here it was that Mataras turned back to speak to his party member. "Get under one of the larger crystals when the dragon appears and don't come out until I say, no matter what," he said. "If I die, teleport out. Don't try to play the hero and save me, just get away."

"Hey, I can fight with my mace!" Lisbeth protested. Before she could say anything else, Mataras grabbed her shoulder and brought his face invasively close to hers. The closeness shocked her, as well as the dark fire that she saw in his eyes. Never before had she seen such determination, not even when she saw Asuna at work in the field.

"Do. Not. Come. Out." He almost spat out each word as he drove the message home. "If you do something, I will not be held responsible by others for what will happen to you. Understand?" She could only nod in fright. "Good." He let her go and turned to face the field of crystals again. "Now hide. The dragon is coming."

Lisbeth didn't question him this time as she found a larger crystal and ducked under it. She could still see Mataras, though, and she wondered how he was going to solo a dragon with just a sword and a fire dragon familiar. The answer wasn't long in coming.

The giant silver crystal dragon dropped down from the sky with a mighty roar as it landed in front of Mataras, who had yet to draw his blade. He stood stock-still as the leviathan crashed down, sending a shockwave of ice and wind at him. His dragon squawked indignantly, but it remained perched on his shoulder, making no movement to attack.

Mataras eyes the beast coolly for a moment before he began to speak. "Greetings, He who rules the skies with breath of ice," he said loud enough for Lisbeth to hear. She shook her head, not sure that she was seeing or hearing things right. Mataras did not see this, though, so he kept on speaking to the white behemoth.

"I seek a treasure buried in your kingdom, He who makes the earth shake," Mataras continued. "And I do not wish to employ violence against you to obtain it. I ask for only until the morn to seek out my prize. Will you grant me passage, O ruler of the winds?" Lisbeth didn't know what was more insane- the fact that Mataras was talking to a boss mob, or that the thing seemed to be listening to him.

The whole time that he had been talking, the dragon was growling menacingly at the boy, but it made no move to kill him, even though he was wide open for an attack. Once Mataras had finished speaking, it snarled loudly and snapped its jaws at his face, coming just a few inches short of biting his head off, and almost making Lisbeth faint from the adrenaline rush.

The giant lizard slowly drew its head back and snorted once. Then it took to the skies, vanishing into the snow-filled horizon. Mataras turned back to Lisbeth and called, "You can come out now."

She did so slowly, making sure that the dragon was really gone before jogging over to Mataras with the words, "How did you do that?!"

Mataras shrugged in response. "I've always had a thing for dragons, even when I was little," he said nonchalantly. "Maybe this one just happened to have a thing for humans."

"No way," Lisbeth said with a fervent shake of her head. "That thing was just a mob- just a bunch of ones and zeroes in a computer. There's no way you can just negotiate with it. Seriously, how did you do that?"

"Ones and zeroes, eh?" Mataras snorted. "Tell me, Lisbeth: is your shop just a bunch of empty numbers with no meaning?" The question was so unexpected, Lisbeth failed to come with a response. Mataras nodded to himself and continued, "I didn't think so. Everything in this world only has as much meaning as you give it. Your home that you bought, the weapons that you created, the memories you make with each day- are they just ones and zeroes to you?"

Lisbeth's mind involuntarily flashed back over the past year and some months, touching on the memories that she had with a few friends, the shop that she had gotten ahold of and worked hard to pay off, the pleasure she found in making a tool that she knew could save someone's life, and the hope she felt that someday, somehow, someone would get them all home to the real world. "No…" she finally answered.

Mataras smiled slightly, though not a smirk this time. "Good," he said. "Then you should understand why that dragon need not have been fought." As he turned away, Lisbeth felt her face warm up slightly as she realized that when Mataras wasn't sneering or smirking, he was actually a rather handsome individual. Shaking her head to rid herself of that train of thought, she moved to follow the strange swordsman.

* * *

Mataras looked down at the giant pit that seemed bottomless, Lisbeth right beside him. "It's probably down there," he muttered with a scowl. "Wonderful."

"What makes you say that?" Lisbeth asked. "Shouldn't it be in a place like that?" She pointed to the largest group of crystals that stood next to a cliff side.

Mataras shook his head without even looking. "Too obvious," he muttered in the same tone. "Besides, if the rumors about this treasure are true, then it'd be here, in the dragon's nest. No dragon would ever let such a treasure rest anywhere other than its domain."

"How do you know this is the nest?" Lisbeth challenged. "I thought dragons liked pretty things like gems and made their homes out of them."

"Only if they're stupid, or enjoy being woken up all the time by robbers that want to take their things," Mataras shot back. "The smart ones make their nests a little more nondescript and hard to reach."

"How do you know that?!"

"I was a very lonely individual as a child," Mataras replied shortly. "You do a lot of reading when that's the case. Dragons fascinated me, so I studied them as much as I could. Apparently Kayaba researched similar lore when he designed this part of the game." Straightening himself, he began digging through his inventory for something to scale the wall.

Lisbeth waited silently for him to finish the task, saying nothing. When he pulled out an item, she was surprised to see that it was a long rope. "Hold this while I tie it to a crystal," he said as he handed her the bundle.

"We're gonna rappel down there?" Lisbeth asked.

"Yes," Mataras nodded as he wrapped the rope around a thick gathering of crystals. "This rope is somewhat elastic- it can go up to three hundred feet in length, or so I was told. I've never had to stretch it that far, though I suspect that may be the case this time."

"Wait, you don't know if this will reach the bottom?!" Lisbeth gasped.

"No," Mataras shrugged as he finished tying the knot. "But there's no other real way to test this thing, is there?"

"You're insane," Lisbeth replied after a moment.

"I already knew that," Mataras said as he took the rope from her and tossed it into the hole. "Try something new and tell me something I don't know."

* * *

The climb down took some time, but even Lisbeth's strength stat was sufficient to get the job done. The rope went down all the way, to the surprise of both teenagers with some room left to spare. "Well, that was a nice little climb," Mataras said as he stretched his arms. They weren't really 'cramped', but it was an old habit that his body was still into, even after nearly two years within the game.

"Yeah, but for once, I'm glad that this wasn't IRL," Lisbeth muttered. "I'd have had blisters and rope burns all over my arms if that was the real deal. So where's the ore?" Looking around, there was nothing but a flat blanket of snow underneath their feet. And the walls didn't seem to have anything of note buried in them, either.

"Under our feet, I imagine," Mataras replied easily as he began digging through the snow with his hands. "Help me look, would you?" Confused but curious, Lisbeth began digging in another spot. Litrosh also seemed to want to help, for he began snorting fire bursts at the snow and melting shallow holes in his search.

"Why are looking here?" she asked.

"Simple," Mataras answered. "The rumor states that the dragon makes this rare ore. However, seeing as they lack any kind of building materials, that leaves one explanation." He grinned broadly as he dug down deeper and pulled out a bluish-silver ingot.

"Is that it?" Lisbeth asked, surprised.

"You tell me," Mataras said as he tossed her the item. "Look familiar?"

Lisbeth appraised the item and found its name to be 'crystalline ingot'. "Yeah…" she admitted. "It looks kind of like the crystals up above, only more solid."

"Thought so," Mataras grinned again. "The dragon up there eats crystals to restore its health, according to some of the raid members that failed this quest. What they don't realize is that the extra has to go somewhere. And that extra so happens to make a rather rare ore." He gave the ingot a pointed look.

It took Lisbeth a moment, but then she realized that what she was holding was the mentioned 'extra'- the dragon's waste product. "GROSS!" she snarled, hurling the ingot back at the young man, who caught with a deft twist of his wrist.

"Well, we have what we came for," Mataras said as he stored the treasure. "Hop on my back- I'll get us out of here sooner than if we climb individually."

The unexpected offer caught Lisbeth by surprise, but she had to wonder again if she was being insulted by the strange swordsman. Nonetheless, she hopped on his slightly crouched back, surprised to feel a strong frame underneath the red shirt. He may have been thin, she realized, but it was all muscle. She felt her face growing hot again and she was glad that Mataras couldn't see her face- he seemed to be able to read her thoughts just by looking at her.

* * *

When they reached the top, Mataras set her down easily and wrapped up his rope to put it back in his inventory. They headed out without a word, one of them satisfied with the state of the quest, and the other unsure of what to say. Litrosh flew about, enjoying turning the snowflakes into steam with pinpoint pricks of fire.

They were about to reach the edge of the field when Mataras put his arm out in front of Lisbeth to stop her progress. "Hold on," he said quietly. In a louder voice, he said, "I know you're hiding out there- come out before I make you." He had a sense of déjà vu as a party of six came out from the edge of the crystal field, all orange players.

However, unlike Titan's Hand, these players were not dressed and armed in a ragtag manner- they were fully equipped by the Holy Dragon Alliance armory. The leader, a large axe-wielder, stepped forward and said, "You knew we were here- so you can also guess why. Hand over the ore."

Mataras sniffed with a snarky grin. "No, I don't think so," he replied evenly. "You are right: I did know you were there. I also know how this next part is going to play out. Listen carefully- I'll even talk slow enough for you to understand."

The orange players growled and hefted their weapons as they began to advance. Mataras still seemed unworried, which Lisbeth knew by now that things were probably going to be fine. So she backed up a few paces as he drew his own blade and began to talk in a bored tone, "You are all going to fight me, in the process of which I will kill your leader to demonstrate that I can, but only after wounding all of you without so much as a scratch on me. You are then going to use your own teleport crystals to land yourself inside the dungeon, because I can't be bothered to use my only corridor crystal. Then Lisbeth and I are going to go home and make a friend of mine a new sword."

It was the easy, matter-of-fact tone in which he described their fates that set the group ill at ease. They all hesitated, even the leader. But then common sense reasserted itself. This was a boy armed with a rough-looking sword and a girl with a small hammer. This was no challenge, especially for people that were strong enough to secede from the Alliance by force. Then a red dragon landed on the shoulder of the boy with familiar ease, and they suddenly had a sinking feeling in their guts. Only seven people all of Aincrad had dragons as pets, and only one player in had a fire dragon as a familiar.

The leader didn't even get to finish the curse word he had prepared in his throat before Mataras began showing that he may very well have had the ability to see into the future.

* * *

On the way back to Lisbeth's forge, Mataras sent a message to the Schmidt from the Alliance that the job was done with. "That was easier than I thought it would be," he said with his natural smile to Lisbeth. "I was planning on going after those guys after I'd had the sword made, but I guess I just have that kind of luck."

"Um, Mataras?" Lisbeth asked nervously. "Why did you kill their leader? Wasn't that kind of… excessive?"

"No, it wasn't," Mataras replied, the hard light back in his eyes. "I killed him because the man robbed a friend on her birthday- the little girl is only thirteen, and she's already been through a lot this year." He remembered receiving a message from Silica about the theft of the gifts that the Moonlit Black Cats had given her soon after they had been with her for her birthday. His blood had boiled, and when Schmidt had approached him in private with an offer to take down a rouge group of players, Mataras had eagerly accepted once he had learned the names of the people in the group.

Fortunately, Pina and Silica were both alive, so there had been no need for another pneuma flower episode. Mataras had promised the little girl that he would get them back for what they did, much to her relief.

"Mataras," Lisbeth sighed, "You're really weird, but I guess that just goes to show that you really do have a heart in there, somewhere."

"Thank you," Mataras replied with a grin. "I half-suspect that you were being sarcastic, but I will take it as a compliment nonetheless." Lisbeth was tempted to glare at him, but instead, she returned the smile and allowed a slight flush to creep into her face.

When they reached the shop, the two of them went back into the forge where Mataras handed her the ingot. "You wanted a one-handed sword, right?" she prompted as she put the ingot in the fires.

"Correct. Let me see what you can do," Mataras nodded, a serious expression on his face. Then he held up a finger. "Oh. And, I owe you this." And he sent her a number of col that made her jaw drop. "That is your down payment."

"F-five hundred thousand col?!" she sputtered. "Th-thanks?!"

"Why does that sound like a question?" Mataras asked. "I should think that thanks are in order- you should only be getting half of that, seeing as I went with you."

"What is all this money for?!" she nearly shrieked.

"For a good adventure," Mataras replied easily. "I enjoyed our little excursion, and I don't get to show off my dragon knowledge very often. I suppose you could say that money is meant to be my way of saying 'thank you for putting up with me'. I'm not completely heartless."

"Oh…" Lisbeth said. "Well, then… Thank you, Mataras. I had a good time, too, believe it or not." A slight blush came into her face, and Mataras frowned slightly at it.

Before either one of them could say anything else, the ingot was ready, and Lisbeth set to work. She was completely focused on her job, so Mataras simply sat in silence, not wanting to interrupt her. When the last stroke of the hammer fell, the ingot glowed brightly and began to change shape rapidly.

Mataras got to his feet and stepped up to the anvil to get a better look. When the sword cooled down, a beautiful blade rested in place of the rough-looking ingot. "Amazing," he said as he looked down at it.

Lisbeth appraised the item and read aloud, "The Dark Repulser." Mataras picked it up and swung it a few times, the air rippling with the power of the sword skill he employed. Lisbeth eyed him carefully, impressed by how easily he was wielding it. "It is good?" she asked.

Mataras turned to her with a grin and said, "It is. I would go so far as to call this one a real sword." Lisbeth smiled at the attempt at a joke. "So how much do you want for this? Name your price," Mataras said as he put the sword in his inventory. "Oh, and could you add a scabbard to the package?"

"Scabbard is free," Lisbeth said as she tossed him one off the wall. "And… Well… No charge for this one." Her face flushed a deeper red than before, and Mataras had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "I… I just want you… To come back here- every day. I want to know all about your adventures, all of 'em!" Her eyes shone with hope as Mataras added the scabbard to his inventory.

Then he manipulated his savings again, and sent Lisbeth an even more staggering amount: "A million col?!" she gasped. "Mataras, I just told you-"

"I know what you told me," his hard voice striking like a whip. Lisbeth actually flinched from the force of his tone. "But what you are seeking, I cannot give." His eyes were darker and harder than any sword Lisbeth had ever forged. "Find someone else to give meaning to this world for you- I can't do that."

Lisbeth's eyes fell, and tears could be heard dripping on the stone floor of her forge. Mataras turned his back and walked out with the words, "Take care of yourself. And thanks again for the sword."

* * *

" _What is wrong with you_?!" Asuna shouted as she slapped Mataras. "Lis was crying to me for _five hours_!"

Mataras simply raised an eyebrow as Sachi and Kirito edged away. "So somehow it's my fault that your friend can't take rejection? She had an infatuation- she'll get over it soon enough." He shrugged as he spoke.

Asuna groaned as she sat down in a chair. "Mataras, you really need to work on your people skills," she muttered. "You can't just go around breaking someone's heart like that. Especially after you tell her about how to give this world new meaning."

"So I have an issue with being too honest, is that it?" Mataras challenged. "I think that I will retain my hold on that problem, if it so pleases you, Miss Lightning Flash. The thing is, I learned long ago that if you take that little voice inside that tells you to be kind and tactful, and shoot it in the face, life is much, much easier." His voice was layered with sarcasm as he addressed Asuna by her nickname.

"Mataras…" Sachi said warningly.

"Sorry," he said quickly. Sitting down as well, he faced Asuna and said, "Look, I am sorry that I don't operate the same way as the rest of society. But I will not stop speaking the truth as I see it either, just because it makes others uncomfortable."

"At least you're comfortable with knowing that you can handle the consequences of your actions…" Asuna sighed. "Did the sword meet your standards, at least?"

"Ask Sachi," Mataras said with a jerk of his head. Asuna was surprised to see that the small girl was now armed with a light blue sword. She hadn't noticed earlier in her rant against Mataras.

"But I thought that the sword was for Kirito…?"

"It's a great sword, don't get me wrong," Kirito said with a reassuring grin. "But I still like my elucidator better. And since I don't need two swords of the same value, I figured Sachi should have it."

"Oh," Asuna said, somewhat crestfallen.

"Hey, I'm really glad that you told us about that place, Asuna," Kirito said as he lay an easy hand on her shoulder. "This way if we ever find a better ore, I can get Lisbeth to make me a better sword. I just have to make sure to go myself next time." He added the last part with an easy smile, and everyone else had to chuckle slightly.

* * *

 **Kirito: Well, then. Sachi now has the Dark Repulser- how about that?**

 **Sachi: I'm not complaining.**

 **Mataras: I thought it was a nice spin, since Kirito doesn't really need it yet.**

 **Asuna: I have to admit, I was surprised by that.**

 **Kirito: Wait, I thought that you were going to quit this segment?**

 **Mataras: She was, but then I reminded her of what's coming up next chapter.**

 **Sachi: Which is...?**

 **Mataras: Readers will have to move on to the next chapter to find out!**

 **Kirito: Seriously?! Another cliffhanger?!**


	9. Ragout for Two

**A/N: Now comes the first date between Asuna and Kirito! And we may also see Mataras open up just a little bit about his past! Excited yet? I hope so, because I'm very interested to hear what you all have to say! Enjoy and please leave a review!  
**

* * *

Ragout for Two

 _Two years,_ Mataras thought as he watched Kirito walking ahead on the forest path. Litrosh was perched dutifully on his right shoulder, while his 'adopted sister' walked on his left. _Two years of Kirito and Sachi's lives have been stolen from their families_. He knew that the two of them were fine as they were, living life as best they could here in Aincrad. Yet after two years, they were only just getting ready to clear the seventy-fourth floor.

Mataras knew that many people, both inside and outside the game were counting on people like them to finish things as fast as possible. He wondered how Sachi's family was holding out in particular. She had told him some time ago that her father had left her and her mother when she was very little, and she didn't even really remember him anymore. How her mother was coping, he had to wonder.

"Mataras?" Sachi's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Are you okay? You've got that look on your face again."

Mataras smiled and clasped her shoulder gently with the words, "I'm alright. I just had some thoughts about what must be happening in the real world. I was wondering how your mother must be feeling right now."

"Well, I have an uncle who we visited pretty often, so I'm sure that he's taking good care of my mother," Sachi replied with a thoughtful expression. "He and my aunt always got along with mom very well, so I think she's in good hands."

"That is good to hear," Mataras nodded.

"What about you? Did you have any friends in the orphanage that you were especially close to?" Sachi asked, hoping that he would not brush off the question.

To her surprise, he thought for a moment, then said, "I wasn't _especially_ close with anyone. But I did have a few friends that I would study and eat with. There were the triplets, Erak, Tybalt, and Hannah. The boys were always trying to get me to laugh, and to a degree, they would succeed. Hannah liked reading almost as much as me, so we would trade books from time to time. Then there was Daniel- he was pretty much the guy in the orphanage that everybody liked. He was always trying to find ways to help out the orphanage, especially with the younger kids. The five of us were the oldest in the place, so I guess it made sense that we would become friends. I just hope that they've been adopted by now by people that will love them, despite the fact that they're teenagers."

"How old are they?" Sachi asked curiously.

"The triplets were all roughly a year younger than me, and Daniel was a few months older than I," Mataras replied with a frown. "So I suppose it's rather unlikely that they were adopted. They're all old enough by law to be counted as independents, so they may have been forced to move out… I hope that they at least found jobs."

"I'm sure they're fine, Mataras," Sachi replied with a reassuring smile. "Are they from overseas like you?"

"Yes, which is another reason we all stuck together so much," Mataras nodded. "We came in at different times, with Daniel being the first, the triplets last, Victoria and I in the middle." Sachi's eyes snapped over to look up at her friend, half-expecting him to be having another panic attack. But for the first time since Sachi had met him, Mataras showed no signs of having a breakdown as he mentioned his sister's name.

Secretly, Sachi's heart lifted with joy, but she managed to keep her expression neutral. Before she could say anything, though. Kirito held up his right hand with the signal that they had worked out for the party to freeze. Both of his guild mates froze without a word.

The Black Swordsman reached for his waistband, which held a number of throwing darts, and selected one. Slowly, carefully, he drew his arm back and activated his thrown sword skill. Following his intense line of sight, Mataras and Sachi tried to see what he was aiming at.

They got their answer a second later when the dart sped through the air to strike a tree, causing a small mob to panic and leap high into the air. Mataras' eyes widened and Sachi gasped as they saw the mob handle: Ragout Rabbit. The single mob with highest flavor rating drop item in all of Aincrad.

Kirito's second dart hit it straight-on, killing it in one shot. When he turned around, he set his menu to visible mode and showed them the prize, his face split with a giant smile.

* * *

"Holy crap!" Agil gasped. "An S-class rare item?! I- I've never seen one before!" Looking up from the menu to Kirito, he said, "You sure about this, man? I mean, I'll gladly buy it, but wouldn't you rather have it for dinner?" Kirito was standing in front of the massive axe-wielder's counter while Mataras and Sachi were lounging in the chairs by a window, with the Red swordsman's eyes closed and his body leaned back.

He was tired, having been using his Dragon Blood skill more often in field, which stretched his imagination as he figured out new ways to use it. Although, he kept it off when in town and around large groups of people. The only time he had used it in front of others was when everyone was too distracted to make sense of what he was doing, like during the first boss raid, or when he saved Sachi, and the raid on Laughing Coffin. He knew that some people suspected something of him, but without any solid proof, the masses left him alone. His dragon, Litrosh, was napping peacefully on the window.

"Believe me, he would," Sachi said with a rueful grin before her guild leader could reply to the shopkeeper. "The problem is, even my cooking skill isn't high enough at eight hundred-forty to risk making it. I have about a one in four chances of burning it and then we lose big time. To make it right, I'd need a skill of nine hundred, maybe nine-fifty."

"Yeah, we just decided that it'd be better to sell it and make a profit," Kirito sighed. "It is a shame though…"

"Kirito?" A familiar voice asked, prompting the mentioned boy to whirl around and grasp the arm attached to the finger that had just poked him.

"I've got a chef!" he said.

"Uh… What chef?" Asuna asked, confused. A man wearing a knight's armor that was standing behind Asuna scowled at the black-coated boy, who released his friend's hand and stepped back with his hands spread.

"Hey there, Asuna," Kirito grinned. "I didn't think you frequented dumps like this." Behind him, ignored or unnoticed by Kirito, Agil frowned slightly at the insult to his shop.

"Oh, shut up," Asuna said with a frown. "I just came down to see if you were still alive. You know it's almost time for the next boss raid, right? Or did you forget?" She smirked at the boy as she spoke.

"Did you forget that you can just look up on your friend's list to see if we're alive?" Mataras' dry voice reached Asuna just loud enough for her to hear. She glared at the boy, whose eyes were still closed, though a smirk was etched on his face.

Suddenly the man who had been standing behind Asuna exploded, anger written all across his face. "Do not speak to Lady Asuna in that manner!" he snapped as he advanced on Mataras. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became very tense.

Mataras smiled lazily, though he showed no other signs of moving. To those that knew him, though, they knew that this was the sure sign of the dam about to break. Agil shot a look to Sachi that clearly read, _Please don't let him break anything_.

But to the surprise of everyone in the room, Asuna grabbed the man's forearm and yanked him back, saying sharply, "Don't talk to my friend like that, Kuradeel."

"But, ma'am!" Kuradeel protested. "He should be showing you proper respect! He has no right to-"

"I said drop it," Asuna snapped. "I'm ordering you to stand down and wait outside." Kuradeel ground his teeth and stomped outside, looking like a child who had just received a scolding from his mother. The girl sighed heavily before turning back to Kirito and saying, "So, what's this about a chef?"

"Huh?" Kirito asked, nonplussed for a second. "Oh, right. I need a favor." He pulled up his menu and set it so that Asuna could see the item that he had been about to sell.

Her eyes widened as she saw the rare item drop. "Ragout rabbit?!" she gasped.

"Yeah, how high is your cooking level?" Kirito asked as he shut his menu.

Asuna grinned confidently and said, "Totally maxed it out last week. Pretty impressive, huh?" Sachi's jaw dropped and Mataras' left eye shot open for a moment before closing it again.

"Cool," Kirito grinned. "All you gotta do is cook it for us, and I'll let you have a little bite." He was suddenly yanked forward by his collar as Asuna grabbed his jacket and placed her face invasively close to his.

"I'm getting the same amount as the rest of you," she said with fire in her eyes. "Deal?"

"Uh, sure," Kirito gulped. Asuna released him, pumped her fist in the air and smiled excitedly in a manner that none of them had ever seen before. Mataras' left eye shot open again. There was definitely more to that happiness than a little rabbit, he thought.

With that in mind, he said with eyes closed again, "Why don't you just share the dish with Asuna, Kirito? You caught it. Sachi and I just watched, and it's not as though we can contribute to the meal." Unseen by Kirito and Asuna, Mataras opened his right eye a fraction and looked at Sachi, hoping that she would get the message.

The girl nodded ever so slightly before turning to the others and saying, "Mataras is right. You two, enjoy the dinner. Besides, if we split it in four, there won't really be enough to go around in a fair amount."

"Uh… Okay?" Kirito said, not entirely sure why his teammates were passing up on a chance to even taste the food that some people would kill for. Asuna, on the other hand, understood exactly what Kirito's friends were up to, and smiled. Sachi returned the smile while Mataras simply got to his feet and stretched without opening his eyes.

"Hey, what about me?" Agil asked. "You can at least let me taste it, right?"

"I'll right a two-page review for you," Kirito grinned at the shopkeeper. "It'll be about eight hundred words, but that's all I can do with my busy schedule." And he began to walk out, followed by Asuna and Sachi.

Only Mataras stayed behind to hear him say, "Dang, that is cold…"

"What did you expect him to pick?" Mataras replied, with his eyes still closed. "A dinner in a run-down shop with you and a friend? Or a private setting with a beautiful, intelligent young woman, just the two of them?" Agil hated to admit it, but Mataras made a good point. Opening his eyes fully at last, Mataras walked outside. Litrosh flew from his perch on the windowsill to land on his master's shoulder.

The group was just outside with Asuna engaged in a tense debate with Kuradeel. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I cannot allow you to go home with such shady characters," the man was saying, obviously restraining his temper.

"I don't know the extent of their shadiness, but I know their abilities in battle pretty well," Asuna replied smugly. "In fact, they each have at least ten levels on you."

"Are you suggesting that I am inferior to them?" Kuradeel's forehead bulged with a vein. His left eye twitched once or twice. "Wait… They're beaters, aren't they?"

"Yeah. What of it?" Kirito replied with slightly narrowed eyes.

"You shouldn't go with them, ma'am!" Kuradeel's voice pitched louder, drawing the attention of a number of onlookers. "All their kind care about is themselves!"

Mataras smiled that lazy smile of his again, hand going up to rest on the hilt of his sword. His dragon growled slightly at the offender. "Kuradeel, you are making a scene where there doesn't need to be one," he said. "Your commanding officer has told you to stand down, and you have not. So I'm going to use a rule that has worked with a number of my opponents in the past." The sword was drawn, and the crowd gasped.

"That's the Red Swordsman!" a man's voice in the crowd whispered.

"From the Moonlit Black Cats?" another said in surprise.

"Is he gonna fight that guy from the KOB?"

Mataras ignored them all and focused on staring down Kuradeel, who looked positively furious at this point. "I'm going to give you to the count of three to turn around and walk away," he said in a very flat voice. "One."

"You must be joking!" Kuradeel shouted. "I am a member of the Knights of the Blood-Oath! I will bow down to no one!"

"Two." Mataras' count was unhurried, relaxed. His sword had not yet moved.

"I really wouldn't test this guy, Kuradeel," Asuna said. "He's the one that wiped out half of Laughing Coffin by himself." That seemed to finally click with the crazed knight. He took an involuntary step backwards, but hesitated one last time.

"Three." Mataras' sword came up, then flipped around so that the Red Swordsman was holding it in reverse. Before anyone could wonder what he was doing, Litrosh leaped off of his shoulder as he rushed forward almost too fast for the eye to follow and smashed the hilt of Guilty Thorn into the man's jaw, sending him crashing backwards in the dirt, stunned or unconscious. Even though they were in a safe zone, and Kuradeel didn't actually take any damage, the knockback was sufficient to accomplish what Mataras had in mind. A number of the crowd made sounds of surprise, but Mataras ignored them, spinning his sword in a fast circle before sheathing it smoothly with a speed of long practice.

Turning to face his friends, he smiled pleasantly and said, "Well then, Asuna. Since your current guild mate is out of commission, would you care for an escort back to your home?"

"I would," she said with a smile in return.

"Kirito, can you handle that?" Mataras asked.

"Sure," the other boy said, sweating lightly. Turning to Asuna, he asked, "Uh… Is Mataras gonna get into trouble for that?"

"I'll vouch for him," Asuna said as she walked off with Kirito. "But all the same, I'd leave before he wakes up, okay guys?"

"We will," Mataras nodded. "Have fun tonight, you two." Asuna and Kirito walked away, and Mataras watched them go for a moment, smiling. Turning to Sachi, he said, "Now, I guess we should head home and get something for dinner, eh?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "That sounds good."

* * *

After dinner, Mataras and Sachi were sitting on the couches in their house, one reading the newspaper and the other going through her inventory, trying to decide what to sell. When she had finished doing that, she mustered up her courage and moved to sit by the young man she sometimes called brother. "Do you mind if we talk about Victoria?" she asked.

Mataras blinked once and laid the paper down carefully before he spoke. When he did, he closed his eyes and nodded, saying, "Yes. I suppose it's finally time for me to talk about her." Sachi clasped Mataras' hands in her own, waiting for him to speak again. Now that the moment was at hand, she didn't want to rush him, fearing that he might withdraw into himself again.

"What do you want to know about her?" Mataras finally asked.

Sachi thought for a moment before she answered, "What did she look like?"

"She was about your size and body type," Mataras began. "She was a very pretty girl, with brown hair a little longer than yours, and hazel eyes. She was about as pale as me, although she tanned a lot better in the sun." He smiled slightly as he added, "There was a vacation we took with our parents to the beach in America. She got a pretty nice tan, and I got burned so bad that my skin started peeling off before the skin underneath was healed, leaving me raw. She never let me live that one down." He rubbed his neck unconsciously as he spoke.

Sachi smiled with her friend, glad that he was finally thawing out. "And what did she like to do for fun?"

"She and I were both big readers," Mataras listed. "She knew her way around a computer like nobody else I know. She liked to talk to the younger kids a lot, which I personally never had the patience for. I would always end up reading stories about dragons while she would teach some of the kids English."

"That sounds like you, alright," Sachi grinned. To her surprise, Mataras smiled back, remembering those times fondly.

"Yes," he replied. "Then of course, we both liked video games, especially science fiction and fantasy genres. It was actually shortly after the first announcement for Sword Art Online that… she didn't make it home." His face clouded over briefly, but he forced himself to continue. "We were both excited to learn that the orphanage was going to be getting ahold of a NerveGear and a copy of the game. We all played a game of Super Smash Brothers Apocalypse to decide who would get to play it first. Tybalt won, actually."

"Then how did you end up in here?" Sachi asked, confused.

"Well… When the day of the launch came around, the others insisted on letting me have the first run," he said, remembering his friends excited smiles before he had closed his eyes and uttered the immortal words 'Link Start' that had trapped him inside the death game. "No one said anything, but I could tell that it was because they hoped that maybe my excitement about being in a new world would help me a bit with my loss… And in a way, I guess it did." He smiled at Sachi and gave her a one-armed hug. "Had I not met you, I may never have talked about Victoria ever again."

"Well, in a selfish way, I'm glad that this happened to us," Sachi said in response. "The others were always great to hang around with, but I never had an older sibling to look up to. My mom did the best she could, but she was always working hard to provide for us, and I never really had someone to talk to about the real things. If I hadn't met you, I may never have been able to talk to someone like this."

Both smiled at the other, then embraced, feeling some of the old wounds seal over for the first time in their lives. Like warm sunlight revitalizing a cold child climbing out of the ocean, Mataras felt his soul finally begin stir again. A tear slid down his face as he held his sister close.

* * *

The next morning, Kirito woke the two up early to inform them that Asuna would be joining them in a party. Mataras burst out laughing when he heard Kirito mention that Asuna had threatened to stab him if he didn't agree to let her join them for a dungeon expedition.

"Come on," Kirito muttered with a frown. "You probably wouldn't be laughing if you'd seen the look in her eyes."

"Oh yes I would," Mataras said as he grinned evilly. "Because it wouldn't be directed at me. But hey, it looks like you've landed yourself a second date." Kirito nearly choked on his breakfast as he heard the word 'date'.

"It wasn't like that!" he protested.

"Oh?" Sachi giggled. "Then what would you call a dinner at her house, just the two of you? With a very rare piece of cuisine?"

"Dinner!" Kirito insisted. "Seriously, don't say that it was a date in front of Asuna! She'd probably stab me for real as soon as we were out of a safe zone!" Mataras sighed to himself and finished equipping his battle attire. Sometimes his friend was incredibly dense.

Kirito heard him, though and said, "Oh yeah? Then what would you call _your_ dinner last night?"

"Brother-sister time," Mataras shot back without missing a beat. "By the way, it's five minutes until we're supposed to meet her. Shall we get going?" This was enough to shut Kirito up as he rushed to finish his breakfast and head out the door with Sachi and her brother.

* * *

The three of them were kept waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour, with Mataras and Kirito getting impatient at the end of the wait. Mataras stood up and said, "I don't think she's coming. She probably got caught up in some guild affair or other."

Sighing, Kirito decided that he was probably right. He started to get up with Sachi, but the gate behind him suddenly flashed with light, and a figure dressed in white and red was flung out, crashing on top of Kirito in a very… awkward position. Mataras' eyes tightened as he saw Kirito start applying pressure in the wrong place in an attempt to get the weight off of him.

Asuna shrieked and slapped the boy out from under her with enough force to send him flying into a pillar. Sachi thought the whole thing was funny and started laughing while Mataras went over to help his friend up, who was extremely dazed. "Wha…?" he moaned.

Then the Black Swordsman shook his head to clear it and looked over at Asuna, whose face was blazing red as she hugged her chest. Kirito frowned, and almost unconsciously he made a squeezing motion with his hand. Then he paled as he realized what he had done, and he managed to say weakly, "Uh… hey. Good morning, Asuna."

Mataras reached up behind his back with his eyes locked on Asuna. "Do you need me to stab him?" he asked bluntly.

Kirito looked at him, shocked. "Why would you do that?!" he cried.

"I hate molesters," Mataras replied, deadpan. "Now unless you can look at me in the eye and say that you didn't do that on purpose, I'll stab you if Asuna tells me to."

"I-I didn't!" Kirito said, taking a step back nervously. "I swear!" Mataras looked hard at his eyes for any sign of deceit. Finding none, he let go of Guilty Thorn's handle and let his arm drop.

"Good," he said with a slight grin. "I was worried that I actually would have to stab you."

"Y-you wouldn't actually have… right?" Kirito asked. Mataras didn't feel the need to make a response to that. They both knew the answer to that question.

Meanwhile, Asuna had accepted Sachi's help to get up and the gate began to shine again, signaling that someone was approaching. Asuna immediately squawked and rushed over to hide behind Kirito, much to his surprise. Sachi, who had been all but dragged by the panicked vice commandant, took her place beside Mataras as Kuradeel stepped through the vortex. Litrosh growled warningly as his beady eyes locked onto Asuna, who was fairly hiding.

"Lady Asuna, I must insist that you stop playing this ridiculous-" His voice locked up as he realized that Mataras, Sachi, and Kirito were the ones with which Asuna had sought refuge. "Not you filthy beaters again!" he snarled.

Mataras smiled and went up to draw his sword again, then had a better thought. Lowering his arm again, he said, "Hello, Kuradeel. Are you keen for a rematch?" The man's eye twitched angrily in response.

"Lady Asuna, please come back to headquarters this instant," he said, barely holding back his rage. "You cannot continue to shirk your duties and associate yourself with these scumbags. It's not your place."

"You can't tell Asuna what her place is, you creep," Sachi said firmly.

"Creep is right," Asuna said sourly. "He was outside my place this morning."

"He what?" The Cats said in unison. Mataras and Kirito re-fixed their glares on Kuradeel, who was still walking forward with a set jaw and flaming eyes.

"She has a bad habit of leaving without informing anyone," he said, trying to justify himself. "So for the past month, as part of my mission to guard her, I have been keeping an eye on her in Selmburg."

"That's not part of your mission, you idiot!" Asuna shouted in frustration.

Kuradeel rolled his eyes and said, "I really wish you'd be more understanding about this ma'am. Now please come with me." The man had finally reached them and tried to move forward to grab Asuna, but Kirito refused to budge.

"Sorry, pal," he said. "But we'll be borrowing your Vice Commander for today. You'll just have to make do without. Don't worry about her safety, though. We've got that covered, and we're not going on a boss raid."

"Get out of my way!" Kuradeel shouted, bringing his fist back for a punch. Mataras was faster, though, lashing out with a side kick that sent Kuradeel backpedalling several paces.

"You little punk," he snarled. "You cheated last time, but I'm not letting you get off the hook easy this time." He pulled open his menu and began entering commands.

A challenge appeared to Mataras, indicating that Kuradeel wanted to duel him. Mataras feigned boredom- although it wasn't really much of a stretch to say that he actually was bored- and refused the request. "No, I couldn't possibly accept your offer," he said with a trace grin. "Someone such as yourself only deserves the best. So why don't you fight our leader here?" He patted Kirito on the shoulder, who remained stone-faced as he stared down Kuradeel.

It was too much for the crazed guard. "All right, you little brats," he said as he began re-entering commands. "I'll show you just how outclassed you really are." Kirito looked over at Asuna, who nodded.

"I'll add this to my report on Kuradeel," she said in an undertone. "Take care of him." Kirito nodded and accepted the duel. It was set so that whoever's health fell into the yellow zone would lose, and the safety net would kick back into effect after that. At least Kuradeel had enough sense not to try and engage a duel that was a fight to the death, Kirito thought.

Several onlookers began muttering amongst themselves. "Whoa," one said. "That's Kirito the Black Swordsman, right? He leads the Moonlit Black Cats, right?"

"Yeah," said another. "I heard that yesterday the Cats almost got into a fight with one of the KOB members. Looks like things are about to be settled."

"If that's true, why is the Lightning Flash with the Cats? Shouldn't she be with her member?" another argued.

"Shut up!" The first man snapped. "I wanna watch! This should be good!"

Mataras, Sachi, and Asuna backed up to give the group leader room. Nonetheless, Kuradeel drew his sword and said to Asuna, "Please move to a safer distance, ma'am! I'm going to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am the only one capable of protecting you!" Asuna rolled her eyes at the absurdity of the notion. She knew that Kirito had this in hand.

The countdown for the duel went by much faster than Asuna though it would, and both swordsmen sprang into action. Kuradeel could be heard letting out a chuckle as he swung an overhand blow, granting him more power that Kirito's underhanded one. For a second, Asuna felt panic rise into her chest, but when she looked over at Mataras and Sachi, both were smiling as if someone had told a private joke.

Then next instant, the swords collided, and Kirito landed on one knee with his sword lowered, his face grim. Kuradeel's eyes were wide with shock as he realized that he was holding only a hilt with a jagged bit of metal on the end. Then the hilt and the blade that was on the ground shattered, and Kuradeel sank to his knees. Kirito swung his sword back and forth as was his custom before sheathing it on his back.

Turning to face Kuradeel's back, he said, "If you wanna try again with a different weapon, we can. But I think we're all done here." Kuradeel tensed up and then began sifting through his menu, obviously trying to draw a weapon in secret. The next second, he charged at Kirito from his crouched position, a small knife in hand.

Kirito prepared to draw his blade in defense with a bored expression on his face when another sword entered the fray. The Lambent Light smacked the dagger out of Kuradeel's hand, causing him to freeze in shock. "L-Lady Asuna!" he protested.

Before he could say any more, Mataras' fist smashed into his face, knocking him the dirt. Since Mataras wasn't part of the duel, the knight's health was not affected. However, again, the knockback was enough to get the desired effect. "Shut up," he snapped. Sachi strode forward and pointed the Dark Repulser at his face as he tried to get up, freezing him in place.

"Kuradeel," Asuna's voice rang out strong and clear. "You are hereby relieved of duty as my bodyguard. Furthermore, you are no longer welcome as a member of the Knights' Guild. I will send a message to Commander Heathcliff saying to strip you of your title and rights. Should he agree- which I believe he will, you will no longer be allowed in the castle of Grandzam. Now go, and don't ever let me see you again." Kuradeel only seemed to sag as if broken by the words.

Sachi sheathed her weapon and the group began walking out of town towards the floor dungeon. The crowd parted ways for them, and not another word was spoken by them until they had hit the outskirts, away from the people.

Unseen by them, a man in a grimy cloak stood above Kuradeel with a smile. _Perfect,_ he thought. _What better a recruit for the damnation of the Moonlit Black Cats than someone with a grudge to settle?_

* * *

Outside the town, Asuna finally sagged a bit and leaned on Kirito. "Sorry to drag you into that," she said with a sigh.

"Nah, it's fine," Kirito replied easily. "He had no right to try and order you around like that. He was at fault- and to a degree, your guild is too, for making a rule like that." Mataras and Sachi were silent, already familiar with the rule about the higher-ups of the KOB needing escorts. Also, they were both curious to see how Asuna would react to Kirito criticizing the guild she was a part of.

The chestnut-haired girl looked at him with surprise as she said, "Yeah, but maybe if I hadn't pushed them so hard at the beginning, they wouldn't be so uptight to begin with."

"Yeah well, you're their leader anyways," Kirito shrugged. "That means that your business is just yours. If you want to take a day off to hang around with a bunch of beaters like us, who are they to tell you no? I mean, Heathcliff could probably tell you off, but he doesn't strike me as that kind of guy." Realizing that he had been rambling a little bit, he rubbed his neck and said, "Eh, sorry. What do I know? I lead a guild of three people."

"Well, your opinion is appreciated anyways," Asuna said with a smile. "But seeing as today is my day off and I've used up a bit of it dealing with work stuff, you guys can play forward."

"Wha-?!" Kirito sputtered. Where did that come from?! "Hey, we're supposed to switch forward position!" he protested.

"Nope, I told you, it's my day off," she grinned and started walking ahead of him.

"Oh, come on!" he groaned. Behind him, Sachi and Mataras grinned broadly at the two teenagers as they walked ahead.

* * *

Even Mataras had to admit, with Asuna along, their already considerable progress in mapping the floor was coming along much faster and easier. She was a blur in battle, moving even faster than Mataras. There wasn't a lot in it, but it was now unclear as to who might be the best fighter among them.

Mataras had the wildcard advantage with Dragon Blood, able to use his own natural reflexes to the greatest advantage, not to mention the fire dragon that assisted him in battle. His swordplay was unlike anything that the others used, so no one knew exactly what he would do next as he engaged in battle after battle. Some of them even suspected that he made it up as he went along.

Kirito had the highest strength stat of the group, almost equal reflexes with Mataras, and the most advanced sword skills. He specialized in countering blows with unnerving precision before attacking with reckless abandon. It worked pretty well for him, but for most others it would be a bit too risky to try as a regular style in SAO.

Asuna was the fastest with her attacks, her sword nearly invisible as she struck with blinding speed. It was something to be said for her, seeing as her teammates were some of the top players in the game, which meant that they should have been able to easily see her attacks, but it was surprisingly difficult for all of them.

Sachi had very balanced stats at this point, meaning that she could essentially back up anyone that needed it. She wasn't as fast as Asuna, she didn't have Kirito's reflexes, and she definitely didn't have Mataras' skill with a weapon, but she could definitely do her part, even on the advanced front lines.

They fought their way through the dungeon for several hours, making sure to map the areas they visited until they found it. Looking up at the giant door, Mataras and the others immediately knew that they had found what every assault team member sought on each un-cleared floor. The boss door.

"Let's take a look, eh?" Mataras suggested.

"Good idea," Kirito nodded. "Maybe we can see what we'll be up against. Just keep your teleport crystals ready." The guild and Asuna all did as they were told before they shoved the massive door open. To their surprise, only darkness and silence greeted them.

"Where is it?" Sachi asked with a slight frown.

"I don't know," Mataras replied, also frowning. Looking back for a second, he said, "Sachi, Asuna. Stay here. Kirito and I are going in for a look."

"What?" Asuna hissed.

"Don't worry, we won't go in far," Kirito said as he grasped Asuna's shoulder reassuringly. "We'll be fine." With reluctance, the girls let them go in first, deciding to content themselves with remembering that this was a standard boss scouting procedure. Half the party stayed behind with crystals ready in case of an emergency while the others went in to look at the boss to study its weapons and anything else that might help them counter it.

For a few steps, nothing happened. But about ten feet in, a blue fire was lit atop a torch. Then another. And another. They kept lighting until the round room was lit entirely, and the boss was illuminated.

Mataras and Kirito both flinched at the sheer size of the monster before them. It stood easily three or four times their height. The blue fur that covered its body was all rippling underneath with finely chiseled muscles. In it right hand rested a sword big enough to cleave a horse in two with one swipe. On its powerful neck rested a goat's head while it had a tail in the likeness of a snake. The thing was a Minotaur, Mataras realized.

It suddenly raised its sword and roared, its red eyes blazing with blue light. The name appeared simultaneously: The Gleam Eyes. Seeing the whole thing, the four of them did what any sane human being would in their situation- they ran for the dungeon's nearest safe zone, not looking back once.

* * *

 **Mataras: Oh, before we go, I have a fun fact for you guys. This is actually a psuedo-crossover. Of what, you ask? My very own book series, of course! I am the main character in the novel, and this is essentially what would happen if I were in the world of SAO instead of the one I made. Some of the other mentioned characters in my life are also starring in my book. Curious now? Message me to find out more about my book series, which was released this past summer.**

 **Kirito: Man, you're still fired up about that, aren't you?**

 **Mataras: Of course! It's my life's greatest accomplishment up until now.**

 **Sachi: Well, I hope it does well for you.**

 **Asuna: Seriously guys, a number of the readers of Mataras' other works have purchased the novel, and not one has regretted it. It's a bit rough around the edges, but it's definitely worth a read.**

 **Mataras: Thanks, guys. I look forward to hearing from our readers.**


	10. Family

**A/N: I hope you're all ready for a good fight scene, some Kirisuna moments, and another cliffhanger, because that's what is being served! Enjoy!**

* * *

Family

"Well…" Mataras gasped as the four friends all sank to the ground. After a good ten minutes of running, they had managed to reach the safe zone without antagonizing any mobs. "I think that's got to be the fastest I've run in the two years I've been here."

"Yeah," Kirito agreed. "That one's gonna be a real pain to beat. It's probably got all kinds of crazy two-handed sword skills."

"Yeah," Sachi nodded. "We're gonna need at least two separate teams just to wear it down by switching in and out. And at least ten of them should be shield-users."

"Shield users, huh?" Asuna said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, Sachi's right," Kirito nodded. "What's with the funny look?"

"You guys," she said as she made a vague gesture towards the small guild. "How come you're so eager to send other people with shields in? You all have one-handed swords, and the biggest advantage to that is that you can use a shield."

"Do I need to remind the kettle that it's still calling the pot black?" Mataras quipped. "You're the same way as us."

"I don't use one because it slows down my rapier, and you overuse that expression," Asuna shot back. "What's your reason?"

"Same as you, though I can't speak for Kirito and Sachi," the Red Swordsman shrugged. "Even with Dragon Blood, shields just get in the way of my style."

"Yeah, Mataras trained me to use the sword without the shield because it would have slowed me down too much. I probably wouldn't have made it out of the dungeon on floor twenty-seven alive if not for his methods," she patted her brother affectionately on the shoulder as she spoke, drawing out a rare smile from him.

Kirito also nodded in agreement, although to Asuna it seemed as though his was delayed and a little too forced. "Yeah, I'm with Mataras," he said. "Shields are too slow."

"Are you sure it's not just because it looks dumb on some people?" Asuna japed. Before Kirito could come up with a response, she smiled brightly and said, "Actually, never mind. It's rude to ask other people to justify their skill set."

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it when you grilled me about having Dragon Blood," Mataras said sourly.

"Yeah, but I like Kirito a lot better than you," Asuna shot back. Kirito's face turned bright red as she said that, and Sachi had to stifle a giggle. Either ignoring them or just not noticing, Asuna opened up her menu and started searching her inventory. "Since it's getting late, we might as well eat," she explained as she opened up a picnic basket. "I brought this along since I considered that we might not have time to make it to a restaurant tonight."

"Did you make it yourself?!" Kirito asked eagerly. Asuna giggled happily and answered that she did as she gave Kirito the first package. The boy eagerly tore open the wrapping to find one of Asuna's sandwiches within. "Awesome!" he exclaimed happily.

Mataras and Sachi both accepted their meals with more politeness than their leader. All three of them were surprised that the sandwiches tasted even better than the last ones that the Vice Commander had made. "Wow, Asuna," Kirito said in between bites. "I swear, this is even better than the ragout you made!"

"You really think so?" she said while turning away slightly to hide her blush.

"Yeah, totally!" Kirito said enthusiastically. "I mean, you could make a fortune selling this stuff!" Mataras and his sister had to nod in agreement- the sandwiches were delicious, even by Sachi's standards.

"That might not be such a bad idea, actually," the girl said thoughtfully. "The ingredients for the sauces aren't that hard to get at our level, and I could do with some extra col…"

"No, wait!" Kirito suddenly said with a frown. "You can't sell it."

"What, why not?!" Asuna asked, confused.

"Cos then there wouldn't be any left for me," Kirito said with such sincerity as he looked at the girl that his teammates couldn't help but plant their faces in their palms.

"My god, you're greedy," Asuna said as she rolled her eyes. "If you like it that much I can always make more, you know…" Kirito looked like he was about to reply, but then Mataras shot to his feet with Guilty Thorn in hand.

The others followed suit just in time to see a group of young men walking into the safe zone. Their leader was easily recognizable by his red bandana, scraggly beard, and katana sheathed at his waist. He looked up from the ground and immediately locked eyes with his old friend with a bright smile.

"Kirito!" he called cheerily, waving at the Black Swordsman. "How ya doing, buddy?"

"Oh, hey Klein," Kirito replied, clearly disgruntled about having his late lunch interrupted by the Furin Kazan guild.

"I see you're just as friendly as ever," he smirked as his friends hung back, talking among themselves. "Hey there, Mataras. Hey, Sachi. Still hanging around with this punk?"

"Of course," Mataras replied as he shook hands with the lanky warrior.

"Kirito's our leader," Sachi said as she smiled at Klein. "Besides, do you think that he'd have made it this far if he was a solo player?" They all laughed at the thought except for Kirito, who frowned at being made fun of constantly.

"Oh, wipe that frown off!" Asuna said as she playfully shoved Kirito and moved into Klein's field of view from behind Mataras and his black-coated friend. "You'd have been fine, unless you forgot to eat. Wait, no, that's probably the one thing that you'd never forget."

"What the-?" Klein said in surprise. He suddenly froze with his jaw hanging open.

"Oh, sorry Klein," Kirito said as he moved aside slightly. "I guess you guys have never officially met outside of a boss battle. This is Asuna, Vice Commander of the KOB. Asuna, this is Klein, leader of the Furin Kazan guild."

"It's nice to meet you," Asuna said, extending her hand. Klein didn't move, which worried his friend.

"Klein?" Kirito asked as he waved his hand in front of the red-head. "C'mon, say something."

"Is he lagging?" Mataras wondered aloud.

Before anyone could come up with an answer, Klein bowed deeply and extended his own hand. "H-Hi!" he stammered. "I'm K-Klein! T-Twenty-four, single, and looking for a- oof!" His rant was cut off as Kirito slugged him in the stomach, hard. Klein went rolling while Asuna stepped back and gasped in shock.

Mataras tensed up as the other members of Klein's guild all rushed forward to stare Kirito down. Sachi looked over at him nervously as he did. If he committed anymore 'crimes' against green players, he'd need to do a quest to keep himself from becoming a permanent orange player. And if he kept lashing out after that, he'd be marked permanently anyways.

Fortunately, it didn't come to that. The group of men simply wanted to get a closer look at Asuna, which led to Mataras and Kirito holding the other guild back. "These guys are okay," Kirito grinned at Asuna as he forced them back. "I just don't know about Klein- ow, hey!" The last part was directed at the other guild leader, who smirked at his younger friend. "What the hell?"

"That's payback, you weasel," Klein quipped. "Now how'd you end up with Asuna in your party?"

"I volunteered," Asuna said as she waved timidly from behind the two boys.

"Kirito, you son of a-"

"Hey, what am I supposed to do?! Turn her down?"

"You've already got Sachi on your team! Leave some ladies for the rest of us!" That particular comment earned him a rap on the head with the flat of Guilty Thorn's blade, though not hard enough to make him lose health points, and leaving Mataras' icon green.

"Don't talk about Asuna like that," Mataras said sternly. "Don't talk about anyone in my family like that." Asuna and the others looked at him with something close to shock. He considered her a part of his little SAO family?

Before anyone could ask him what he meant, another element entered the picture. The combined guilds turned to see a group of two-dozen heavily armed men enter the field's safe zone. Their leader turned to face them as soon as the last one entered and called out, "At ease!" The men sank to the floor, completely spent, groaning in relief.

"The army that runs floor one?" Sachi asked quietly. "What are they doing here?"

"They were almost completely wiped out on floor twenty-five," Asuna recalled. "They've spent their time since then building up their numbers instead of their stats. I'm honestly surprised that they even made it this far into the dungeon."

Only their leader seemed to have retained his strength as he strode up to Klein, Kirito and Mataras. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Corvatz of the Aincrad Liberation Army," he proclaimed.

"I'm Kirito, leader of the Moonlit Black Cats," the Black Swordsman replied evenly.

"Sure, sure," the man said, clearly unimpressed. "Do you have a map of the area ahead of here?"

"Yeah, we got a full map that includes the location of the boss' room," Kirito replied, annoyed at the man's attitude.

"Right," Corvatz nodded. "Then hand it over."

"What the-?" Klein sputtered. "Hold on, you got no right to demand that! Do you have any idea how much of a pain mapping is?"

"No right?!" the man roared. "We share all of our information and resources with civilian players, and don't charge a thing for it! We maintain order where there would otherwise be chaos! Therefore, it's your _duty_ to cooperate with us! Now _hand over that map_!"

Mataras and Klein placed their hands on their weapons, ready to put the arrogant man in his place when Kirito waved them back. "Easy, guys," he said smoothly. "I was gonna go public with the map once we got back into town anyways. It's cool." He set up a data transfer and gave Corvatz the map without another word.

"C'mon Kirito, you're being way too nice to 'em," Klein protested, but the boy ignored him until the data transfer was complete.

"Our guild doesn't make money off of map data," he said as Corvatz closed his menu. "Like I said, it's fine."

"Thank you for your cooperation," the lieutenant said as he turned to leave, not sounding like he meant a word of it.

"Hey, I'd stay away from the boss room, by the way," Kirito said as Corvatz walked away.

"That is my decision to make," the older man said, not turning around.

"If you're planning on hitting the boss room, you're not only rude, but a fool as well," Mataras said with a scowl. "Your men are in no condition to fight any mobs on this floor, let alone a floor boss. You need to go home before you do something stupid."

They could practically hear Corvatz's teeth grinding as he turned around and shouted, "Nonsense! _My_ men are tougher than that!" Turning back to face them, he roared, "On your feet! Move!" And with that, the group staggered to their feet, and left the safe zone.

"Did he seriously just imply that we, of all people, are inferior to his troops?" Mataras said as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Pretty sure he did," Kirito muttered. He was clearly having second thoughts about having given the map to the arrogant leader of the soldiers.

"Do you think that they'll be okay?" Sachi asked Mataras.

It was Asuna who answered, though. "I'm sure they'll be okay, Sachi," she said unconvincingly. "I'm sure even they wouldn't go and rush the boss without at least checking it out first."

"Blast it," Mataras said as he drew his sword and started walking after the army.

"Hey, where are you going?!" Asuna asked after him.

"He probably is that stupid," he growled, not turning around. "And they're that loyal. Which means that we're going to have to save them."

Kirito sighed heavily and nodded. "He's probably right," he muttered sourly. "And just when I thought we might be able to head home…" He started walking quickly to catch up to his teammate. The others looked at Klein, who nodded firmly.

Furin Kazan moved to follow the Black and Red Swordsmen, but Klein hung back for a moment. "Hey, Sachi, Asuna," he said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I got a favor to ask…"

"Sure," Sachi said with a smile as they stopped to face him. "Name it."

"I know you know this by now, Sachi," he said, still not looking up. "But even though they're loners, and addicted to combat, they're really good guys, both of 'em. Take care of Kirito and Mataras, would ya?" And he bowed to both of them.

"You know we will," Asuna said with a smile. "Don't worry, they're in good hands."

* * *

Progress back to the boss' room was even easier now that two of the top guilds in Sword Art Online were making their way through it together. It meant less experience points for everybody, but no one really cared. They had all already filled their levelling quotas, so it didn't really matter.

Mataras was sure to disable his Dragon Blood as to not raise the other guild's suspicions. Even so, he was still one of the best members in the party, fighting side-by-side with Sachi even as Kirito fought beside Asuna.

When they were less than half a mile away from the boss' lair, they managed to clear out the last mob in their way. "That's the last of 'em," Klein confirmed as they all looked around. "Now all that's left is the boss room."

"Hmm…" Mataras was staring down the path to the boss room with a slight frown on his face. "Did those idiots wise up and go back? Or did they…" As if in response to his unfinished question, screams began to echo down the long hallway. "Blasted fools!" he snarled as he took off on a full sprint.

"Asuna!" Kirito looked over at his partner even as Sachi took off after her brother.

"Yeah, let's go!" she agreed. The next instant, a shockwave was left in their wake as they took off at full speed, leaving the Furin Kazan far behind. At their speed, it was less than a minute before they got to the boss lair, Mataras and Sachi standing at the entrance with grim expressions on their features.

Inside the room looked like something out of a Greek legend where the heroes were about to lose their lives fighting against the demon. Corvatz's men were scattered, their rigid discipline shattered. All of them were dangerously low on health, but their commanding officer was refusing to back down, shouting at the army to get to their feet.

"Get out of there!" Kirito shouted at those that were unable to get to their feet. "Use your teleport crystals!"

"We can't!" a young man shouted back. "The- they're not working!"

"An anti-crystal zone in a boss lair?" Sachi gasped. The Moonlit Black Cats each recalled the death trap that they had barely escaped from on floor twenty-seven, the memory filling them with dread.

"I've never even heard of a trap like that being in a boss' room," Asuna said.

"What's going on?" It was Klein.

Kirito quickly explained the situation to his friend, causing the red-head to look with worry at the men being scattered by the boss' horse cleaver. "Isn't there something we can do?" he asked, afraid.

"We could distract the boss, but going in there's too risky," Kirito said with a shake of his head. The monster suddenly unleashed a breath attack, scattering the men everywhere, followed by a mighty swing of its sword. A single man was thrown all the way back to the entrance, unmoving. Corvatz.

Mataras knelt beside him, reaching for a potion, but then the helmet shattered, causing him to freeze. "I…" the man gasped. "I can't believe it." Then he died.

Mataras stood, his head bowed. Sachi and Asuna averted their gazes, horrified. Kirito and Klein could only stare in shock.

The boss raised its sword once more, intending to kill the rest of the men. Mataras glared at the boss, his normally brown eyes blazing silver. "Blast you!" he snarled. He drew his sword and charged at top speed right at the boss, ignoring the cries of his friends. "May this sword condemn you to oblivion!" He leaped high and slashed at the giant, scoring a solid blow across its back and causing it to whirl around.

Before Mataras could react, the boss punched him while he was still in midair, sending him skidding across the floor, stunned. He looked up, dazed as the boss raised its sword to swing it down at him, much like it had been about to do to the army. _Is this how it ends?_ His thoughts were blurry, and he could barely move.

Movement. A shout. Mataras forced his eyes to focus as Kirito quickly interposed himself between the boss and his friend. "Move!" the boy shouted as he deflected the blow just enough for it to land a few inches away from his legs. Mataras shook his head to clear it and leaped away, looking around the room to see what was happening.

Klein and his guild were guiding the soldiers out of the boss' room, many of them leaning heavily on the men in red samurai armor. Sachi and Asuna were circling around the boss, switching in and out with Kirito. But from the damage that they had taken versus the amount of health points that the boss had lost, it was clear that there was only one way that the fight was going to end. _Unless…_

It was a long shot, and Mataras knew it, but they didn't really have much of a choice at this point. "Klein!" he shouted. "Switch in with Kirito and Sachi! Help Asuna keep him off of us for thirty seconds!"

"We'll try!" he replied as he charged in to do as he was told. Asuna stabbed it in the back three times before leaping away at the last second to avoid being cleaved in two. Kirito and Sachi looked over at Mataras, wondering what he had in mind.

"Sachi, give Kirito the Dark Repulser, and don't argue with me about why," Mataras ordered. "Kirito, I'm going to activate Dragon Blood to back you up."

"But-"

"No buts, just do it!" Mataras roared at his friend. "If you don't use it, Asuna and Klein could die!" The Black Swordsman set his jaw and opened his menu without another word. Sachi gave him the sword, and the two young men stood side-by-side as Kirito shouted at other two warriors.

"All right, we're ready!" he called. "Switch out!" Asuna and Klein did so swiftly, both of them in the yellow zone by now. Normally they would have used healing crystals at this point, but the same effect on the area that prevented teleportation also kept them from using the instant-restorative properties of a red crystal. Now it was up to the Moonlit Black Cats.

The Red Swordsman was the first to strike, deflecting the massive sword first with a flick of his blade, then shifting his body so that his outstretched frame was parallel to the sword that was bigger than he was. The next instant, Guilty Thorn came up and over in a vicious arc to slice the boss' face. The follow-up attack happened almost too fast for the others to follow as he moved to smash the hilt in a reverse strike to the Gleam Eye's jaw, sending it staggering backwards a few paces.

Mataras retreated quickly to let Kirito hit next, both black and blue blades coming up and glowing with blue light. They could hear the others gasping in shock as Kirito unleashed the start of a sixteen-part combo on the boss, a technique called- " _Starburst Stream!_ " Kirito's raw shout echoed throughout the chamber, complimented by the sound of multiple blows striking the boss' body.

Although caught off-balance at first, the boss was capable of retaliating with a blow from its own sword which came down right after Kirito finished the powerful combo. He barely blocked with both blades in time, but he managed to shove the massive blade off of him.

"Switch!" Mataras called. The boss was very low on health, but so was his friend. One more hit to either of them could kill them. The Black Swordsman leaped backwards just in time to avoid a fatal blow to land beside his friend and brother in arms.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," Mataras grinned. "Should we do this like floor one?"

"Done," Kirito nodded. "Now let's finish this thing!" Together, they charged.

The horse cleaver blade came down with brutal force, despite the fact that the boss was only using one hand, but Mataras managed to deflect the blow from its intended course, and leaving the boss open for Kirito to attack. He surged forward, black blade shining with light as he swung down with all his might- only to have the boss grab the sword and halting his attack.

Asuna cried out in fear, and Klein's eyes widened as he realized that Kirito was about to die. But fortunately, in the heat of the moment, they had forgotten one thing: Kirito had Sachi's sword in his left hand.

Before even Mataras could intervene, Kirito screamed with everything he had and stabbed the boss in the chest as fast as he could, the blue sword going in up to the hilt. Both player and boss froze as though paralyzed before there was an explosion of blue and green polygons, and for a moment, Kirito was lost form view.

Asuna ran forward anyways before the room was cleared, ignoring the 'Congratulations!' sign that floated above the spot where the boss had last stood. Her entire attention was focused on the boy in a black coat, collapsed on the ground.

She slumped down next to him and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him hard. "Kirito!" she shouted! "Wake up, Kirito!" When he didn't respond, she shook him harder and shouted even louder. He finally stirred, even as Mataras made his way over to the boy with Sachi at his side.

"Ugh…" he groaned. "What just happened? Did we win?"

"You did it," Sachi said, obviously relieved to see that her friend was okay.

"How long was I out?" he mumbled even as Asuna got him to drink a powerful potion.

"Just a few seconds," Mataras said as he accessed his own menu and pulled out a pair of potions, one for himself and one for his sister. "You did well, Kirito. The skill worked even better than we'd expected."

"You reckless _idiot_!" Asuna shouted as she threw her arms around Kirito, unable to hold back the mixed tears of fear and relief anymore. The gesture threw Kirito off a bit, but then he smiled gently.

"Don't hug me too hard, or else I'll lose my HP before that potion does the trick," he joked lamely. Then his expression grew serious. He looked up to see Klein, his friends, and the remnants of the army. "How many did we lose this time?" he asked.

"Corvatz and two of his men are the only ones that didn't make it," Klein replied.

Sachi's face fell at the news. "We haven't lost anyone in a boss fight ever since floor sixty-seven," she murmured.

"That wasn't a boss fight, that was suicide," Klein spat angrily. "Corvat was a damned fool. What's the point in any of this if you die?!" No one had an answer for him, so he eventually decided to change the subject. "Okay, you two!" he said as he pointed at Kirito and Mataras. "What the hell was that?!"

"What was what?" Mataras said with a mix of sarcasm and feigned innocence. Sachi elbowed him in response, to which he gave her a hurt look.

"Do we have to tell you?" Kirito sighed as he stared at Klein.

"You bet you do!" the katana-wielder grinned. "I've never seen those moves before!"

Kirito sighed heavily and looked down as he said, "Mataras and I both have extra skills… Mine is Dual-Wielding."

"Whoa!" Klein gasped, as did the others. "Are there prerequisites?"

"If I knew that, I would have shared it by now," Kirito replied with a slightly rueful grin. "About six months ago, I was just scrolling through my menu, and there it was."

"Huh, it's not on anything that the info brokers sell," Klein muttered. "It must be exclusive to you. You got a unique skill, man! How could you keep that from your buddies? No wait, what about him?" He gestured at Mataras, who had hoped to stay out of the spotlight. "He knew about your skill, didn't he? And what was that I saw? He was dishing out damage like he was using a skill, but he wasn't using any attack combos. What's up with that?"

"I'm surprised nobody said anything before today," Mataras replied with a sigh. "Like Kirito, I have no idea how I picked up on the extra skill I have. It's called Dragon Blood and it lets me move outside the constraints of the system's auto-assist. The drawback is that I can't gain any bonus effects on my attacks, and I can't use my other combat skills whenever it's equipped."

"Whoa…" Klein breathed. "That's so cool! But seriously, why did you keep it under wraps like that?"

"Remember how everyone reacted when Heathcliff first used the Divine Blade?" Sachi responded. "They all wanted to know how he gained that skill, even though he didn't have an explanation for them, but a lot of people didn't buy that and they got really angry. It wasn't until he founded the KOB and began clearing the floors with Asuna's help that people really accepted him without any animosity. If it means anything, I didn't know until just a few weeks ago."

"True…" Klein admitted with a nod. "A lot of gamers are like that… You're right, people are probably gonna be jealous of those skills. And especially Mr. Kirito here," he said as he winked at the Black Swordsman, still holding Asuna. As Kirito averted his gaze, Klein smiled and added, "Well, they say that life is made better by the challenges you face, so keep soldiering on, you guys."

Turning to Mataras, he said, "We're gonna go ahead and trigger the warp gate to the next floor. Want to come with?"

"No, I think we all need a break," Mataras replied with a shake of his head. "Besides, I need to pick up Litrosh from his playdate with Selica and Pina."

"Fair enough," Klein said as he and the others moved to go. Before he headed out the new door, though Klein stopped and said, "Hey Mataras?"

"Yes?"

"You know how you just ran in there? To save those army guys?"

Mataras cocked his head with a slight frown and replied, "Yes… What of it?"

"It did my heart good," he replied without turning around. "You and Kirito both. See you around, okay?"

"Until next time," Mataras answered as he looked back at his friend and the girl still embracing him tightly. "Should we give you two a minute?" he asked. Kirito looked up at Mataras and nodded once.

* * *

The group all got home at roughly the same time, due to Mataras and Sachi going to pick up the little fire dragon, and Kirito talking with Asuna. They all went to bed immediately, completely spent. They hoped to sleep in, but as it turned out, that was going to be impossible.

Mataras was the first one to answer the door as he heard someone constantly pounding on it. He had his sword in hand as he prepared to confront the intruder and he opened the door. The instant after he did, he really wished that he hadn't.

* * *

"A wild man with a blade colored like blood, and a dual-wielder nailed the boss together with a fifty-hit combo?" Agil laughed as he read the paper that served as a news template. "I can't believe how big a deal people are making outta this thing!" He laughed again.

The Cats were all upstairs in Agil's shop, and none of them were in the mood to laugh. "Yeah, it blew up right in our faces," Kirito muttered sourly. "A bunch of info brokers and swordsmen showed up at our place this morning. Now we need a new pad cos they know where we live."

"Hmph," Mataras scowled. "It would have been bad enough if they had learned about one unique skill. But those stupid army chumps went and proclaimed the whole thing as though they were new believers to the gospel." Litrosh leaped from a chest to land on his master's head, to which Mataras responded by scratching the little dragon's head.

"Yeah, well, you're the one that jumped in there and then insisted that Kirito use his dual wielding," Sachi replied with a slight smile. On her back was her old Tsunami Crest blade. She had insisted that Kirito keep the Dark Repulser and gone back to the sword she had used in the Laughing Coffin raid.

"Don't remind me," Mataras scowled even harder. "If I had known that they were going to tell the whole world about it, I might have just let the stupid boss chop them into bits."

"No, you wouldn't have," Sachi insisted.

Mataras stared at her flatly and said in a deadpan voice, "Don't be too sure about that."

Before his sister could come up with a comeback, they heard light footsteps coming up the stairs at a rapid pace. "Kirito," Asuna gasped as she stood in the entryway. "What are we gonna do? We've got a huge problem!"

* * *

"Outside of boss fights, I don't believe we've ever met," said the man with long silver hair and steely eyes. His uniform and place at the center of the table that seated five-though one spot was currently vacant- marked him as Heathcliff, the leader of the Blood-Oath Knights. The Moonlit Black Cats and Asuna had been summoned to the headquarters of her guild, and now they stood before the four other leaders in their main hall.

"That's not entirely true," Kirito replied. "We did talk a bit that one time outside the boss raid on floor sixty-seven."

"Yes, that was a hard fight," Heathcliff nodded. "We lost several good men in that fight. Which brings me to why I called you up here."

"If you're done spouting theatrics, just tell us what you want," Mataras said coldly. "Why won't you let Asuna join up with us while she takes time off from the guild? From what I've seen, she's more than earned a leave of absence." Sachi placed a soothing hand on his shoulder to calm him down before he could go on into a full-on rant at the older man.

"We barely get by with the number of players we have, despite being called the top guild," Heathcliff replied with a slight frown. "And then here you are, a rival guild trying to take away one of our best."

"No one here wants to be rivals," Sachi replied calmly. "We all want to clear the game, that's all. Why are you trying to pick a fight with us?"

"Actually, I agree with you, Miss Sachi," Heathcliff replied smoothly. "I would like it very much if you would all become a part of the team here. However, I can tell that not everyone here would be happy with that arrangement."

"Damn straight," Kirito muttered under his breath.

Heathcliff continued to say, "I am willing to cut you all a deal. If you want to take Asuna with you, you'll have to fight me for it. Your best fighter against me in a one-on-one duel. If they win, you'll be free to take Asuna with you." His face twisted into a small smile as he added, "On the other hand, if Mataras or Kirito loses… You will all join the Knights of the Blood-Oath."

Before Kirito could make his response, Mataras stepped forward and growled, "No deal. At least, not under those conditions."

"What do you mean?" Heathcliff asked, intrigued. The other members looked angry that Mataras had addressed their leader so roughly, but they held their tongues.

"If all of our freedoms are at stake here, then it should be a fight done by all of us," Mataras replied. "Asuna is part of our family now, and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure that she can do what she desires. So what I propose is a three-on-three fight. Whoever can get two members into the yellow zone first will be declared the victor, and the afore mentioned conditions will take effect."

At first Heathcliff looked somewhat surprised, but then he gave them that dry smile of his. "I find that to be completely reasonable," he said with a nod. "Very well. The Moonlit Black Cats will face off against myself, Godfree, and Raphael. Normally I'd ask Asuna to join in, but I have a feeling that she'd refuse in this instance. Are we all in agrrement?"

Mataras looked back at his teammates with a raised eyebrow. Sachi nodded, determination etched into her normally timid face. She could do this, Mataras knew. Kirito also nodded and added the words, "Sounds good to me. If they wanna settle this with swords, that's fine by me."

Mataras turned back to Heathcliff with his own sardonic smile in place. "Sounds as though we have a duel on our hands. I look forward to facing the Divine Blade."

* * *

 **Kirito: Man, and I thought that the fight against the Gleam Eyes was intense enough. But now you've gone and pitted the top two guilds in SAO against one another. That's gonna be brutal.**

 **Mataras: I prefer the word 'exciting', but I suppose your choice works, too.**

 **Asuna: You just love beating other people up, don't you?**

 **Mataras: No... Yes, but only when they deserve it!**

 **Sachi: You really need to work on that...**

 **Mataras: I just said only if they deserve it!**

 **Asuna: Some people would say that nobody deserves to be thrashed like you whack them.**

 **Mataras: What part in our entire history together makes you think that I care?**

 **Kirito: Well, I guess to be a beater, you have to have a thick skin...**

 **Mataras: Thank you!**

 **Kirito: Your's must be made of leather.**

 **Mataras: I hate you.**


	11. Legends of Aincrad

**A/N: Here is a duel that that I really loved writing! Sachi vs. Godfree! Kirito vs. Heathcliff! Mataras vs. Raphael! Will Asuna be set free? Or will the Moonlit Black Cats be absorbed into the Knights of the Blood-Oath? Read on!  
**

* * *

Legends of Aincrad

"Are you guys _stupid_?!" Asuna shouted, frustrated. "How could you agree to a duel like that?!" She was within an ace of slapping Kirito, who tried to calm her down before she actually did slap him.

"Sorry, sorry!" he said as he held his hands up in front of him. "It just kind of happened!"

"Ugh…" Asuna groaned.

"What are you so worked up about?" Mataras snorted disdainfully. "You have to know that we'll beat your number three and four guys. Even if Kirito doesn't beat Heathcliff, I wager that you'll be a free woman by sundown."

"I know, but…" Asuna groaned again sat down heavily.

Sachi moved to sit beside her and said, "Don't worry, Asuna. We've got this one in hand. Kirito can probably even beat Heathcliff by the second round, and we can go home early."

"I hope so," Kirito muttered, his chin now in both his hands. "Nobody's ever seen his health bar drop below yellow, though. That's not a great stat for me to face."

"Well, even if you do lose, I've got you covered," Mataras said as he swung his red blade. "I am _not_ letting some second-rate nerd beat me in a swordfight."

"I can't imagine you losing to anyone, Mataras," Sachi chuckled softly. "I'm still confused why you're not fighting Heathcliff?"

"It's an honor thing," Mataras smirked. "I couldn't very well deprive our leader the honor of facing the living legend himself." Before any of the others could utter retorts against him, the horn sounding for the first match went off, and Sachi stood.

"That's my cue," she said as she drew her sword.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the Dark Repulser?" Kirito offered.

"Kirito, we've been over this," Sachi sighed as she started walking towards the gate. "I like the defense boost that the Tsunami Crest gives me. I'll be fine."

"Good luck out there," Mataras said with a genuine smile as his sister walked out onto the arena. "Take him down!"

"You know I will," Sachi returned the smile as she looked back over her shoulder. The three teenagers moved to watch, one with an orange dragon on his shoulder. Litrosh would not be a part of the battle, should Mataras need to fight, but his master insisted on him coming to watch anyways.

* * *

Sachi stared down her opponent, a rather rounded man named Godfree. He was in charge of the assault team on the KOB, she knew from what Asuna had told her. He was wearing the traditional white-and-red of the guild, and he also had a silver axe on his back, and she eyed it warily. According to his Vice-Commander, he was big on his strength points, but not so much on his speed.

The man sent her a duel request, to which she agreed immediately. And the countdown began. The two duelists stood about twenty paces apart from one another.

 _If he hits me, even once, I might be done for_ , she thought as she closed her eyes in concentration. She strove to block out everything around her, from the screams of the crowds to the hot sand beneath her feet. She shut it all out, just like Mataras had taught her to do, were she to ever end up in a duel. The only thing that existed was her body, and the sword she wielded in her hand. Nothing else carried any significance to her senses until she was ready to begin the fight with fire in her eyes.

 _If I can get inside the range of his axe…_ She took her stance, twirling her blade on either side of her body before crossing her arms over her chest with her blade pointed flat at Godfree.

"You sure you want to do this, girlie?" The man grinned in a friendly manner as he spoke. "If you wanna throw in the towel now, I won't hold it against you."

"Maybe you wouldn't," she replied tersely. "But I know that I would hold it against myself."

"You've got spunk, kid," Godfree grinned as the countdown neared its end. "We'll be glad to have you in the guild."

"In your dreams!" Sachi cried even as the timer went off. Not wasting even half a second, she darted forward at top speed. She wasn't as fast as Mataras or Kirito, but Godfree was definitely taken by the speedy thrust. He barely managed to dodge being impaled as the girl struck him with a skill that caused her sword to glow light green and allowed her to leap such a great distance.

He moved to strike her in the back with his massive weapon, his axe glowing orange as he did. Sachi whirled around, aided by the system's auto-assist. Her single attack smoothly transferred into a whirling attack that got her inside the range of his weapon and allowed her to strike him three times with a glowing yellow sword.

He leaped backwards, shocked at her speed. Looking at his health bar, he go a sinking feeling as he realized that his health was more than a quarter gone, while she remained completely unscathed. Using every point that he had invested into his strength stat, he leaped high and backwards.

Sachi watched him go, waiting patiently. Something Mataras had drilled into her during their training sessions was, _Let them second-guess you. Lead with your second best, and if that's all it takes, good. But always keep an ace up your sleeve. Never let them see what you're made of right away._ Setting her jaw, she readied her leaping thrust once again, prepared to attack Godfree the instant that the came in range.

"Is that all that the KOB's vanguard commander can offer?" she taunted with a cheeky smile, another tip of Mataras'. "I thought that you guys were the top guild or something like that?"

"Hey, there's no need to make this personal," Godfree said, cocking his head with a slight frown. "You guys want something, we wanted something else, and this is the way that we decided to settle it. Why you gotta try and compare which guild is better in the middle of everything?"

Sachi sighed heavily in response. That wasn't the response that she'd been hoping for. She had assumed that he would react like most men do when their pride is threatened- lash out with reckless abandon. Apparently Godfree was too relaxed to even get that out of him. _Looks like this is going to have to be done the hard way_ , she decided.

Leaping forward again, she scored another hit on the man, much to his shock and discomfort. This time, he tried for a weaker-yet-faster attack that made his axe glow royal blue. The first time Sachi had attacked him, he had wanted to end things quickly before they really got started. Now he realized that her superior speed stat was going to be his loss unless he could somehow retaliate.

His attack missed her by a hand's breadth. She actually felt the wind of the axe pass her by as it stuck into the sand. The girl's eyes widened as she realized that she now had a very welcome opportunity to finish things off even without having to drain his health down to yellow.

Spinning around with a sword that glowed white, she aimed straight at his axe handle. Just like Mataras had told her, humans often let go of the object they hold in an attempt to escape the impending attacks that they are faced with. Godfree was no different, and in trying to escape the blow, he sealed the fate of the duel.

As he jerked backwards involuntarily, he moved his left hand directly into the path of the glowing blade. A second later, he let out a startled cry as he realized that he was now missing a hand. Which meant that the axe he carried, a two-handed weapon, could not be used until the hand grew back.

Sachi grinned at him and said, "What's it gonna be? You can try and dodge my attacks for the three minutes that it takes for you to regrow the hand, which we both know won't happen. Or you can call it quits, and I'll be the winner of this round."

"Never!" Godfree roared heartily. "I never back down from a fight for the sake of my guild and the players of Aincrad!" His words echoed in Sachi's mind, eerily similar to Corvatz's before he died.

Sighing sadly, she raised her sword into attack position. "If that's what you really want," she said. "I promise to make this fast." Godfree began to sweat lightly as he saw Sachi's sword light up again.

* * *

The duel screen showed Sachi's victory within two minutes, thirteen seconds. Mataras smiled and hugged her as she walked off the stadium, accompanied by the massive crowd's cheers. "Good work out there!" he laughed as she returned the hug.

"I had the best teacher," she said. "Thank you."

"Eh, don't thank me," he said as he rubbed her head affectionately. "That victory was under your own power, not mine. Be proud of that, Sachi."

"I will, Big Brother," she said as she tightened the embrace again. Turning to Kirito, she said, "Good luck out there, Kirito. Show the KOB what we've really got."

He grinned and said, "I think they already know." Then the horn sounded and he snapped his gaze over to Asuna, who nodded her approval.

"Go get him, Kirito," she encouraged her friend. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

"I will," he grinned. "You'll be free to take off as many days as you want once this is over, Asuna." He added a small wink as he stepped out the gate, to which Asuna blushed furiously, much to the amusement of Mataras and Sachi.

* * *

Looking around, Kirito could tell that the crowd was even more riled up than they had been for Sachi and Godfree's fight. And really, he couldn't blame them- they were about to see two unique skill-users go toe-to-toe, not to mention that they were both leaders of the top guilds in Aincrad. Still, the reclusive part of Kirito that still existed wished that they could have done the duel in a less public setting, even if it did mean that there were more witnesses to assure Asuna's freedom when the whole thing was over.

Heathcliff seemed to be having some similar thoughts as he looked around and said, "I honestly didn't expect this to become such a big event. It's crazy." He added a wry smile at the end as he looked at his black-coated opponent.

"Maybe my guild can get a cut of the tickets, then," Kirito smirked.

"No," Heathcliff said, all business. "But since your guild has put up more of a fight than I expected them to, I'll make sure to forgo the normal initiation procedure once you're all part of the Knights of the Blood-Oath. You will even be free to make your own party if you wish."

"Heh," Kirito snorted as Heathcliff sent him a duel invite, which he accepted. "You've got a thing or two to learn if you think that Mataras is going down even if you beat me. He's the Red Swordsman, remember? Known for hunting down dangerous players specifically?"

"I'm well aware of that," Heathcliff replied evenly as he drew his straight sword out of his crucifix shield and gripped each one tightly. His red armor gleamed brightly, though not overtly so in the noontime sun. "Honestly, I had expected Sachi to lose to Godfree, which is why I insisted on us fighting second. I wanted to have this whole ordeal over by the end of this fight, but it seems that we will have to proceed to round three once our battle is finished. We might as well give the audience a show, right? Although, I doubt that Mataras can last very long against Raphael, despite his obvious skill."

Kirito's eyes narrowed and his teeth became bared in a soundless snarl. "That's crossing the line, Heathcliff," he growled as the counter hit five.

"Hmm?" Heathcliff seemed honestly confused.

"Don't _ever_ mock my guild members!" Kirito roared, launching himself at Heathcliff at top speed even as the battle began. " _Starburst Stream_!" The sixteen-hit combo was on its way, and even the living legend himself was surprised at the ferocity behind the blows.

The Black Swordsman could almost imagine the conversation that his guild would be having right now. "He just used his best move!" Sachi would exclaim in shock. "That's dangerous, isn't it?"

Mataras, of course, would give off his trademark smirk and answer, "Starburst Stream is a strong combination, but it's not the best that dual-wielding has to offer. Trust Kirito- he knows what he is doing."

 _I won't let them down_ , he vowed. More than just Asuna's freedom depended on this fight- Mataras and Sachi's lives were involved now, too. When his attack ended and Heathcliff came out from behind the shield, Kirito stabbed at his exposed ribs. The man parried and then slammed Kirito with his shield, sending him reeling.

The black Swordsman glared at the armored paladin as he thought, _So the system recognizes the shield as an attack, even if it's a basic move. He might as well be dual-wielding himself._ This did nothing to deter him from aiming towards victory, though. Both swords glowing yellow, he unleashed another combo attack against Heathcliff's seemingly impenetrable defense, landing a few hits, but being stabbed himself twice with heavier attacks.

When the two combatants separated for a moment's respite, Heathcliff nodded approvingly at his younger opponent. "Your reflexes are incredible," he said with a slight smile.

"Heh, and your defense is impenetrable," Kirito replied in the same manner. Then the two of them collided again, with the teenager unleashing Starburst Stream one last time, determined to knock the shield out of the way and land one last blow on the leader of Asuna's guild, for he could see that his health was nearing the yellow zone. The time was now.

As soon as his left sword beat the shield out of the way, the black sword in his right hand came up and began its downward arc to finish the duel. Then, in a much different manner than he had expected, the duel _was_ over.

In the second before- no, rather in the time _between_ the seconds- Heathcliff moved his shield back just in time to block Kirito's attack. The paladin then stabbed the Black Swordsman in the arm and brought his health down to yellow. Thus his perfect record was maintained, and Kirito looked up at him, stunned.

Although, far from looking smug as he had moments before, Heathcliff looked almost angry, which puzzled Kirito. He had just won the second round, so shouldn't he be happy? And how in the world had he moved that fast?

* * *

"Are you all right?" Mataras asked Kirito as he sat down heavily, exhausted.

"Yeah," he said with a tired frown. "I just don't understand."

"I told you that fighting the commander was suicide," Asuna said.

Mataras snapped his glare up to fix on her as he growled, "This is not the time, Asuna." Turning back to Kirito, he said in a lower tone, "Tell me I'm not the only one that noticed how fast he moved."

"I was right there, of course I noticed," Kirito replied with a deeper frown. "I just don't understand how that could have happened. I mean, if I had been lagging, maybe that would explain it, but you saw it too, so that can't be it."

"Hmm…" Mataras scowled, deep in thought. "Does he maybe have another unique skill? Something that boosts his speed?" Before anyone could answer him, the signal for the next duel sounded into the room, and Mataras filed the thought away for later. "Let me know if something like that happens and I don't notice this time," he said as he walked out.

"Good luck, Brother!" Sachi called out, to which he gave a thumbs-up.

"Go get this guy!" Kirito encouraged.

"I believe in you!" Asuna added.

* * *

Mataras kept walking until he was twenty paces away from another sword-and-shield user. His name was Raphael, and he was the third-in-command, only under Asuna and Heathcliff in terms of authority, although according to Asuna, they were almost completely matched in skill. Sometimes she had even wondered if Raphael was actually better than her, and Heathcliff just had her as the Vice Commander not only because of her skill with a rapier, but because of her natural beauty. It would certainly explain why so many top-level players would be eager to join up with the KOB.

 _Well, maybe more people will be eager to join the Moonlit Black Cats once this is over_ , Mataras grinned to himself. _Too bad our acceptance rate is only about one in a thousand._

"What are you smiling about, Red Swordsman?" the young man facing him asked with a trace of hostility.

"The thought of your imminent defeat," Mataras replied, his smile changing from thoughtful to smug. "You might be skilled, but not even Asuna would be able to best me in a duel. Don't get cocky on me- it makes for overconfident, easy opponents."

"Hmph," Raphael snorted as he sent his opponent a duel request. "I could say the same to you. Just don't ask me for any favors once this duel is over."

Mataras snorted with contempt and watched as his opponent drew his sword and heft his shield into position. When he failed to draw his own blade, Raphael cocked his head. "Do you plan on fighting me with your bare hands?"

"Not exactly," Mataras smiled wider, like a wolf preparing to devour its prey. "Although I must admit, the thought of beating you so easily is rather tempting."

"You dare address me like that, you bastard?!" Raphael shouted, his eye twitching slightly. The movement reminded Mataras a bit of Kuradeel, although he doubted that Raphael was that level of mental.

"I'll address anyone anyway I choose," Mataras replied as he settled into a fighting stance, still unarmed. "I'm a free man, and I'll be blasted before I let any man tell me how to speak or not speak." The timer went off, and Raphael charged with his shield forward and sword coming up with a blue glow. Exactly as Mataras had hoped he would.

As soon as Raphael came in for an overhand attack, Mataras darted forward and grabbed his shield with both hands, much to the shock of the knight and the crowd. He then used the tightly strapped shield to his own advantage, heaving mightily, using Raphael's momentum to his advantage and throwing him a number of meters with his own shield to sprawl in the dust.

Raphael looked up in shock to see Mataras draw his own blade with great speed and charge at him. Since he had managed to interrupt Raphael's attack, which meant that the Blood-Oath knight was paralyzed for five seconds- more than enough time for Mataras to cross the distance and get in a good stab on Raphael's leg. The attack drained his health by about one-sixth and shocked the young man.

But he was far from being out of the fight. Sword glowing ice-blue this time, he unleashed a rapid-paced attack, much like the one that Asuna favored in combat. It hit Mataras a couple of times, despite his lightning reflexes. It also forced him to retreat, allowing Raphael to scramble to his feet.

"Well, you are no slouch, I'll give you that," Mataras nodded with a trace of respect.

"And I admit that I expected slower reflexes from you," Raphael replied. Mataras chose not to reveal that he had invested a good number of his experience points gained from defeating the Gleam Eyes into his agility stat. He already had a very high attack stat, and he believed that speed was always the most decisive of the three stats in a battle. Attack was a good one to have, and defense wasn't really necessary for him because of his reflexes, though he didn't completely neglect to invest in it. He wasn't so arrogant to believe that his abilities were infallible, as Raphael had just demonstrated.

The two young men clashed again, Raphael's attacks swift and accurate, Mataras' speedy and unpredictable. Of the two of them, it was clear that Mataras was the better fighter, but Raphael was quite skilled at using the auto-assist function to chain his attacks together whenever he could.

The biggest drawback was, Mataras was able to see a pattern emerge after a couple of minutes of combat. Their duel had lasted the longest so far, which meant that they were both capable attackers and defenders. However, Mataras would not be denied his victory, nor his freedom. Both of them were at about two-thirds of their health when Mataras made his final play.

Eyes blazing silver, he let out a wordless bellow and renewed his own attacks as soon as Raphael let loose with another rapid-pace combo. Pushing his renowned skill to the limit, he deflected the long sword with his own thicker blade to the side and immediately whirled his sword to sever Raphael's shield arm at the elbow, and bringing them face-to-face much to the shock of the white-armored duelist. His forearm and hand shattered, though the shield remained.

Even worse, his health was now near the yellow zone, and Mataras still had three seconds left on the clock before his paralysis would wear off. His eyes locked on Mataras' normally dark-colored orbs, looking for any sign of mercy that might grant him a respite and another chance.

But Mataras wasn't known to show mercy, and he wasn't about to start, either. He was known for exploiting any available weaknesses that he could find, and doing it effectively. With a cold smile, he brought his red sword up in reverse to slash Raphael across the chest. Even though his health dropped down into the yellow, he stepped backwards and used the extra space to lash out with a reverse kick to send Raphael reeling. The white-and-red armored knight fell back into the dust, whereupon Mataras moved fast to stomp on his chest and flick his blade to his throat.

Looking up Raphael could see that his eyes were back to their normal color, but no less chilling for it. Dark like thunderclouds that promised a furious storm, his eyes drilled into Raphael's, and the message in them read, _You could be dead_. He gulped nervously and didn't move until Mataras turned around and walked off, the duel over.

As the Red Swordsman walked away, he ignored the cheers of the crowd and instead looked across the field to see Heathcliff manipulating his menu. When he looked up, his grey eyes met Mataras' with a slight frown. Mataras responded with another wolfish smile that said, _Challenge us again, and you'll be facing_ me _next time_.

Heathcliff held the gaze for a moment before giving him a dry smile in return. _Perhaps someday_ , he seemed to be saying. They both nodded, looking forward to it. Then Mataras looked over to see his teammates charging out onto the field, all smiling.

He smiled broadly at them in return as he saw that Asuna's health bar no longer displayed the KOB symbol on it. He realized that Heathcliff must have released Asuna from the guild just before they had issued their challenges to one another. The first ones to reach him were Kirito and Litrosh, with the latter perching atop his head, and the former grasping forearms with his friend as he said, "That was the best fight I've ever seen!"

"Are you serious?" Mataras replied with sincerity. "I thought that your fight with Heathcliff was amazing up until he got lucky."

"Oh, stop being modest," Sachi laughed as she shouldered Kirito aside to give Mataras a big hug. "It doesn't really suit you." He returned the embrace in addition to twirling her around.

The last one to reach him, interestingly enough, was Asuna. He reasoned it was because she wanted his guild mates to be able to express their congratulations to him first. Putting his adopted sister down, he faced Asuna with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile, waiting for her to speak first.

"Thank you, Mataras," she said with a smile and an extended hand.

In response, he grasped her hand with both of his and returned his eyebrow down to its natural level and smiled with a small light in his eyes. "I was glad to help," he said. Then he guided her hand to rest on Kirito's arm, much to both of their surprise. "But Kirito is the guy to thank. Without his knowledge, Sachi and I never would have been able to become this strong, and then who knows? He might have ended up having to fight Heathcliff on his own."

"That's not a comforting thought," Kirito admitted with a rueful grin. "But…" He placed his own hand on Asuna's as Mataras' left hers resting there and smiled warmly. "Since you're out of a job now, would you like to join our guild, Asuna?"

"Kirito…" Asuna smiled happily with a film of tears in her eyes. "After everything we've been through together, I can't think of many things that would make me happier. Of course I'll join you guys!" And she threw her arms around Kirito, much to the displeasure of many male players in the stands, who shouted angrily with jealousy.

"Uh…" Sachi looked around nervously at some of the angry faces. "Maybe we should finalize this somewhere else?" Even Kirito, who was normally oblivious, could understand why she would feel that way.

"Yeah, he said. "Let's get moving to the gate and get to Agil's. He said we could hide there for a day or so if we needed to."

"Probably because he knows that if words gets out as to where we are, it'll be good for his business," Mataras remarked dryly. Nonetheless, none of the others had a better plan, so they raced to the gate as fast as they could, barely managing to escape a group of crowd-hyped fans.

* * *

"Well, selling the house wasn't that hard," Mataras said sourly. "It was getting out of there that was hard. I had to use a teleport crystal again, and now I need to restock. Stupid crowds…" He scowled as he sat down on one of the chairs. Litrosh looked up at him from the table, and he rubbed the little dragon's head.

"Well, it coulda been worse, I guess," Sachi sighed. "We managed to keep all of our furniture, right?"

"Yes, but I'm just about to run out of inventory space," Mataras replied, his mood not lifted. "Everyone wants to know how to get the skill that rivals Heathcliff's, or that lets you beat a KOB member silly."

"Yeah, well it's your own fault for being a bunch of show-offs," Liz smirked at the Red Swordsman, who gave her a smoldering look in return. The two of them had been at odds ever since she agreed to help Agil manage the shop with all the extra customers he was getting as a result of his temporary guests.

"Get back to work before I decide to give myself a refund on the Dark Repulser," he growled. "And don't think I won't- I'm the Red Swordsman Dragon Master." Lisbeth immediately headed downstairs. As she left, Mataras growled, "Crazed fans, _and_ a rejected girl with obsession issues? It must be my _birthday_!" He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes tightly, trying to ward off a headache.

Sachi gave Mataras a disapproving look. "I thought that you were making progress," she said, slightly disappointed with his attitude, even if he had been dealing with a lot.

"Baby steps," he muttered. "Where are Asuna and Kirito?"

"Up on the roof," Sachi replied. "I decided to wait for you until you were done with the sale so we could all eat lunch together up there and decide where we should have the new home base." She stood up and opened the window.

Litrosh looked up again, and leaped out the window right after Sachi did. Mataras sighed and followed the, muttering to himself, "Knowing Kirito's stomach, he probably suckered Asuna into giving him his sandwich already." Nonetheless, his stomach also rumbled in anticipation of eating one Asuna's meals.

 _Lucky kid_ , he thought as he leaped onto the roof to see Sachi, Litrsoh, and the other two teenagers, sitting so that their shoulders nearly brushed. _If this keeps up, he's going to end up married to her_.

* * *

Later that day, after lunch, the guild- Asuna had officially joined the afternoon following the duel- decided to go for a little excursion on floor sixty, a favorite hunting ground for the Cats. It was set in a forest plateau, with tall trees everywhere on the rocky pathways. There weren't many monsters on the floor, but they often had good drop items. Not to mention the scenery was almost out of a storybook, although Mataras insisted that there was a similar set of mountains in the eastern region of the United States.

When they stopped for a break on their way back to town in the early evening, Sachi passed out some cookies that she had made that morning with Agil's stove. "I know my skill isn't as high as Asuna's," Sachi admitted sheepishly as she handed out the snacks, "But I hope they're good enough."

"You sell yourself short," Mataras smiled as he bit into one. "This is very good, Sachi."

"I'll say!" Kirito agreed heartily as he tore into a chocolate chip cookie.

"They're both right," Asuna nodded. "This is pretty good. Maybe you could show me how to make them sometime?"

Before Sachi could reply, a high-pitched voice said, "I'm afraid that won't be happening, dearie!" A small dart suddenly flashed out of the trees to strike Sachi, who stiffened and dropped to the ground, stunned.

"What the- ugh!" Kirito was hit the next instant, followed immediately by Asuna. Only Mataras managed to doge being hit the first time, since he was now aware of what was happening, but another dart suddenly stuck him from another direction, locking his virtual muscles and making him slouch against the tree he had been resting against a moment ago.

"Four down!" A voice sang out from the trees. From that direction stepped out a man whose face was hidden by a black cloth that only showed red eyes from under his hood. His walked over to the downed team, giggling and swaying. On one of his gloves that he waved at them was the mark of the murder guild, Laughing Coffin.

"Is that who I think it is?" Kirito growled. "Johnny Black?"

"Hmm?" the man said with a cocked head as he reached Kirito, crouching beside him. "Oh no, I'm not Jon Jon, but I can understand why you'd think that- we do share a family resemblance after all. You know, how sometimes cousins look alike so that sometimes they're mistaken for siblings?" Kirito knew exactly how that was, but he wasn't going to tell this member of Laughing Coffin that.

"No no, I'm not Johnny," the man giggled again. "I'm Knife-finger Ned, and the new right-hand to Poh." Mataras' eyes narrowed in anger at the mention of Laughing Coffin's leader. He had hoped to kill that man during the raid, but as fate would have it, one the Dragon Alliance's men had been killed trying to prevent his and another man's escape- Ned's escape now that he thought about it.

Ned twirled one of his knives with obvious skill and said "And while you're all just lying around, I'd like you to meet the man that made this all possible." He pointed to where the first knives had come from.

And out from them stepped an all-too familiar figure, despite his new uniform. Where there had once been clean white and red armor, Kuradeel now wore black, dirty garments that aided stealth abilities. In his right hand, though, was a replica of the sword that Kirito had destroyed during their duel.

"You bastard…" Kirito snarled, trying in vain to move past the effects of the poison. "You joined a murder guild, huh? Makes sense, actually…"

"Yes, that's how I got the skills to paralyze you bastards, and how I'm going to kill you," Kuradeel giggled, his eyes wide with dark pleasure. "I think we'll kill the boys first, so that way we can hear the girls scream longer- sound good, Ned?"

"I like that idea!" Ned said cheerfully, as though someone had asked a little boy if he wanted some pizza or ice cream. "It might actually be better than my game where they all kill each other to try and survive! Oh, but we'd better get this done soon, or the poison will wear off. We can't have that!"

And he moved closer to Mataras, even as Kuradeel moved to kill Kirito. They both giggled even louder as Asuna and Sachi shouted in vain for them to stop. Kuradeel stabbed Kirito in the leg first, causing the Black Swordsman to grunt in pain. Giggling, Ned went to do the same to Mataras, only to see Mataras smiling at him.

The next instant, Sachi moved and tore the knife out of her shoulder before she proceeded to stab Ned with it. Even though the poison was one-time use, the madman shrieked in shock and went down, even as she used an antidote crystal on Mataras. He leapt to his feet, sword instantly in hand. "Get the others," he said to his sister. "I've got this in hand."

"Oh you do, now do you?" Ned giggled as he rose, suddenly back in control of himself. "Let's see how well you do when I hit you with this baby?" He pulled out a sword tinted green with poison. "Dance, shall we?"

"Hmph," Mataras whirled his sword to deflect the blade with ease as soon as Ned stabbed at him. He was almost taken by Kuradeel's surprise attack from behind, though he managed to deflect it by flipping the blade behind his back. "Too slow," he taunted.

"Die, damn you!" Kuradeel screamed.

"You first," Kirito growled, now on his feet. Black blade in hand, he attacked Kuradeel with a weak-but-fast attack called Rage Spike. The blow took him in the arm, causing him to shriek and turn to face the Black Swordsman.

As Kirito dueled the former KOB knight, Mataras unleashed his own style on Ned, an unpredictable form of swordplay invented entirely on his own. Both the Black and Red Swordsmen were clearly the better fighters, and when Sachi and Asuna rejoined the fray, they didn't stand a chance.

It seemed to end for Kuradeel when Asuna had him on his knees. He begged pitifully for her not to end his life, and at the last moment, she hesitated. Sensing this, Kuradeel let out a wild swipe and beat her rapier from her hand and prepared to remove her head from her shoulders. But Kirito was even faster, shoving her out of the way and blocking with his left hand, which caused it to be cut off and shatter into sparks. But his right hand still held his elucidator and it stabbed Kuradeel through the chest, draining the last of his health points.

"Damn you…" he groaned. "You… murdered me…" Then he shattered, much to Kirito's satisfaction. The pair turned just in time to see Mataras slash Ned across the chest and kill him with a stoic face.

"Rot in hellfire," he growled. Whirling his sword in reverse as he always did when a battle was over, he sheathed his blade. Turning to his guild mates, he said, "That should be the last time Laughing Coffin bothers us. I doubt Poh would want to come after us himself, and he's probably the only one that could actually hurt any of us other than those two." He opened his menu and passed out health potions to everyone.

To his surprise, when he handed one to Asuna, she began to sob uncontrollably. "Asuna…?" Kirito asked softly as she broke down in his arms.

"I'm so sorry…" she cried. "This is all my fault… If I hadn't joined you guys, Kuradeel wouldn't have…" She began to hiccup in addition to her tears. "I… should… stay away from all of you… For your sakes."

"Asuna," Mataras shook his head firmly. "You're part of our family now. We're not going to just let you walk away like that. You mean too much to us."

"But-" Her words were cut off as Kirito raised her chin and kissed her right on the mouth. She seemed to resist for a moment, then she melted into the tender embrace. Mataras and Sachi looked on with raised eyebrows and open mouths. They both knew that there was chemistry between the two of them, but this was something that neither of them had expected for a while longer. Then again, Mataras thought, it wasn't a surprise that their emotions would come to the fore like this with their lives having been in serious danger a moment ago.

When they finally separated, Kirito bowed his head against Asuna's and he said, "My life belongs to you… Until the end. I'll make sure that you get home, no matter what."

New tears spilled from her eyes, but now they were tears of joy instead of pain. "And I… will be there to protect you," she said as she wrapped her arms around him in return.

"Asuna… Can I stay the night with you?" Kirito looked at her with utter sincerity. But before she could muster a response, another voice broke in.

"Oh no, you don't!" Mataras objected, causing the young couple to flush furiously as they suddenly remembered that there were others present. "There is no way that you two are spending the night together unless you're married first!"

"Why not?!" Asuna shot back, her face still bright red. "Couples do that kind of thing all the time! Why shouldn't we?!"

"Wait, what?" Kirito gasped. Then it hit him. "Oh, wait… No, Mataras, I swear I didn't mean it like that! I just wanted to sleep next to her…"

"Oh yes, like it would stop there!" Mataras snorted. "You are teenagers with a ridiculous surplus of hormones running through your bodies right now. Oh sure, you may be fine here and now, but when it comes to it? Would you really say no if she came on to you?"

"Yes…" Kirito replied slowly. Mataras raised his eyebrow and Kirito relented. "Okay, no, probably not. Still, what do you have against it?"

"Okay, let me ask you this," Mataras snapped. "If you sleep together now, out of wedlock, how will you ever be able to trust each other that you won't sleep with another person out of wedlock?!" His eyes were silver, indicating his intense passion on the subject, which surprised the others. Even Sachi seemed surprised at the level of vehemence that he was displaying now.

"Uh… Maybe he has a point?" Kirito said uncertainly.

"You're seriously taking his side?" Asuna asked, surprised.

"Well, that tells you that he's different than most men," Mataras said dryly, his eyes fading back to normal. "Most men would have jumped at the chance to get in your pants. But not him. Why? Because he cares about you."

Asuna's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Then she looked up at Kirito, who stirred uncomfortably. "Is that why?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," he said, sweating lightly. "I mean, I wouldn't want to put in you in a position where you had to do something because you felt like it was the normal thing to do. I mean, I want it, but I wanted you to want it too, and not just try to 'please me."

Before she could answer, Sachi finally found her voice to say, "Oh would you two just get married already?"

"Hunh?!" Both of them flushed bright red again.

"Why not?" Mataras grinned. "I mean, if you're willing to go 'until death do us part', then I don't have a problem with you engaging in, ahem, marital activities. And I think that you'll find Kirito a lot more eager, too. I mean, he gets to spend his life with a beautiful warrior like you, right?" His eyes drilled into theirs, and they realized that he didn't just mean in-game marriage. He meant actually promising to tie the knot in the real world when they could.

They looked at one another, and involuntarily, their minds wandered back over all the adventures that they had shared together in world of swords. And right then and there, they knew the answer to the question.

Kirito got down on one knee, and Mataras broke out into a huge smile as his friend uttered the immortal words, "Asuna, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Kirito, I will marry you," was the equally immortal reply. "With everything I am, I will stay by your side."

"And I will be the sword and shield that you deserve, even in the real world," he said as he rose to face her, his obsidian eyes hard as rocks, and conveying utter sincerity. He opened his menu and sent her a marriage invite, which she immediately accepted. Rings immediately appeared on their ring fingers, sealing the sacred pact.

"I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Kirito Black Swordsman!" Mataras laughed, causing the newlyweds to redden brightly again, but they both smiled again. "Now, for the matter of finding you two a house…" Mataras said with his hand on his chin.

"There's a little secluded village on floor twenty-two," Sachi suggested. "The chances of them being disturbed there are minimal."

"What do you think?" Kirito asked his wife.

"That sounds perfect," she giggled.

Mataras nodded and said, "We'll help you get moved in since I've got all the furniture in storage. But what should we do with Asuna's apartment?"

"Um…" Kirito hadn't thought that far ahead.

Fortunately, Asuna quickly came up with a solution. "Why don't Mataras and Sachi live there? I mean, it'd be a shame to get rid of such a nice place, and not many people know that I live in Selmburg anyway. You two should be able to dodge the crowds that way."

"That's very generous of you," Mataras nodded. "Thank you for the offer. Unless Sachi objects, I think that we will take you up on that."

"Hey, wait," Kirito said suspiciously. "What was that you were just saying about spending the night with a-" The kick that he received sent him sprawling by a very red-faced Mataras.

"Sachi's my sister, and that's it!" he snapped. "And you know that we spend the night together all the time when you're there, and nothing happens!"

"Okay…" the Black Swordsman groaned. "That's fair… Sorry I said that."

"You should be," Sachi said, her face also red.

Asuna burst out laughing at the whole thing. At last the Legends of Aincrad were united as a family, and nothing could have made her happier.

* * *

Later, on their way home, Asuna turned to Sachi and asked, "So how did you manage to negate the paralysis like that?"

"Well, Kirito has dual-wielding, and Mataras has dragon blood," Sachi grinned sheepishly. "So..."

"Don't tell me," Asuna sighed. "You have a unique skill that lets you negate poisons?"

"Actually, Pure Heart makes me immune to recoil effects, burns, paralysis, and any other stat reductions," Sachi replied. "As you can imagine, it comes in handy quite a bit."

"I imagine," Asuna agreed. "But I have to wonder, maybe the Moonlit Black Cats just get unique skills for being a part of the guild."

"Maybe," Kirito grinned. "Who knows, Asuna? Maybe you'll get a unique skill, too."

 _Wouldn't that be something_ , Mataras thought to himself.

* * *

 **Asuna: Well, there you have it! That's who else escaped the Laughing Coffin massacre- he's related to the guy from the Illusionary Avenger episode that likes playing games with his victims. And now even Sachi has a unique skill!**

 **Mataras: Be sure to let me know what you think of the skill I invented for her. Also, in case I wasn't clear enough, her starting stance is like Lucina/Marth's from Fire Emblem: Awakening.**

 **Kirito: The next chapter will not have Asuna or myself as we will be on our honeymoon, but you will get to see a flashback concerning how Mataras met and won the loyalty of Litrosh. Sound good?**

 **Sachi: I'm interested- Mataras was alone when he found Litrosh, so I'm eager to know, too!**


	12. Dragon Roar

**A/N: So this chapter covers the Moonlit Black Cats first Christmas together after the massacre on floor 27. As you'll see, everybody is still trying to find ways to deal with the grief of losing their friends. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the other ones, if not more so!**

* * *

Dragon Roar

Mataras smiled at the picture that Asuna had sent him of her and Kirito having a picnic down by the lake. There was no doubt about it, the two of them looked good together. He saved the file to his images, happy to preserve such a priceless moment. Normally he didn't take many photos, or save the ones that he was given. As matter of fact, it had been more than a year before he had taken a photo in the game himself.

Looking over at the red dragon napping lazily in the sun on the balcony of Asuna's apartment, his mind wandered back to a time before he had even considered Asuna a friend. A time when he was still trying to console Sachi over the loss of her friends. A time when, finally worn down by the depressing gloom that hung over their house like a black fog, he wandered out on his own for a day…

* * *

The Red Swordsman's face was set in grim lines as he trekked through the snow of floor seventeen. The dungeon that led to the boss room was a forested area where snow fell regularly during December, but he wasn't interested in leveling there. The place had been cleared out long ago, and only intermediate players visited that place anymore. And not to mention, most people were shut indoors today- after all, it was Christmas Eve.

Memories seared his mind like fire as he recalled warm nights spent with his sister, anxiously trying to guess their gifts before finally falling into a light sleep that would be instantly broken by the dawn's rays. Shaking his head and tossing his black bags about, he scowled and tried to forget those times by looking up at his destination- the bonus dungeon of this floor, Hades' Volcano.

He was closer than he'd thought, and the snow was becoming noticeably thinner around him. He drew his sword, a simple-looking silver blade that he hoped to retire by the end of the day. His goal was actually to defeat a rare fire dragon mob that supposedly lived on the far side of the volcano. It supposedly dropped a rare sword under the right circumstances, although what those were, he had no idea. He simply had time to kill, and this seemed like a good way to do it.

Not too long after, he found himself in a warm place, where the rocks radiated heat and no snow would ever fall. "On the eve of Christ's birth, here I stand at Hell's doorstep," he muttered to himself. "Irony at its finest." Then he began the trek to the other side of the fiery, treacherous mountain.

He met a few rock creatures along the way, none of which posed him any challenge. He was already level sixty-four, so this place was well below his margin of a challenge. The only thing that might pose him a threat would be a field boss, such as the supposed fire dragon. _If Argo led me off on a wild goose chase her, she's going to get more than some black coal for Christmas,_ he thought darkly. _I was hoping that this dungeon would have more of a challenge for me. Then again, most players that she sells information to would consider this place dangerous..._

Shrugging the thoughts off, he continued his journey in silence, only pausing to check his map every now and again to see if he was still going the right way. According to the map that Argo had sold him, the dragon was supposed to appear in a cave on the left side of the road…

* * *

When he drew near to the place, he shut off his menu and looked for the cave using his 'tracker sight' skill. The primary function of the skill was to help find a lost friend or companion, but if you leveled it high enough, you'd also get enhanced eyesight in general, as well as night vision whenever you activated it. Now with this ability, Mataras found his target easily.

"All right, Argo," he muttered. "You lead me this far. Time to see if there really is a dragon waiting to fight me in there." Drawing his sword, he advanced into the cave cautiously, expecting an angry reptile to come charging at him any second. But as he advanced several yards into the cave, he scowled heavily as nothing came out at him.

"Where are you, fire-spitter?" he growled aloud as he searched the dark interior. His sharpened eyes finally found what could possibly be a drop item towards the back, and he headed towards it, hoping to find a chest that he might be able to crack open with his new tools. Even a novice lock picker like him could use the set he carried to break into chests on floors as high as the thirties.

However, to his initial surprise and disappointment, he only found a large orange oval. He nearly kicked it in frustration before his memory kicked in. His mind flashed back to a Christmas three years prior, when he and Victoria were reading a new gift together…

* * *

"Wait, so this is a fire dragon egg, right?" the boy with brown hair said as he pointed a large red egg.

"No, that's a ruby dragon egg," his little sister said with a shake of her head. " _This_ is a fire dragon egg." She turned the page and pointed at an orange oval. "These eggs were supposedly kept near volcanoes instead of underground like gem dragons preferred to do. The eggs always needed to be kept warm, otherwise the hatchlings inside could get very sick."

"Oh, okay," the boy grinned. "That makes more sense, actually. Fire is orange, not red."

The girl giggled and replied, "Yeah, well it's not like it really matters, right? I mean, none of these are real, you know?"

"Maybe, but it's still fun to read about," the boy smiled wider as he scooted closer to his sister so that he could see well. "Honestly, I kind of wish that dragons were real. Life would be way more interesting that way."

"Yeah," Victoria agreed. "Who knows? Maybe with those new virtual reality games that everyone keeps talking about that are coming out in a couple of years, we'll be able to meet a dragon! Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Yes it would be," her brother mused with a small smile. "What kind of dragon would you like to meet, Victoria?"

"Hmm…" The girl thought hard before saying, "I'd like to meet a hatchling. I don't really mind what kind- a dragon is a dragon, after all. Right?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right," her brother chuckled again. "I suppose you're right…"

* * *

Mataras' eyes snapped open even as tears rushed out of them. As he tried in vain to clear his eyes, he thought, _How I wish that you could see this… I could have taken this egg home… Made it into a gift for you…_ He fell to his knees and cried in silence for a good long while as he mourned his sister once again, as he had so many times since he they day of her passing.

He was about to go home, having lost his taste for the quest at hand when the egg before him began to rock. His eyes widened as he saw multiple cracks forming at the more pointed end of the warm oval. _This thing hatches_? He thought with surprise. _I thought that mobs only spawned- I didn't think that there was a Genesis process for any of them!_

But he kept his disbelief in suspense as he watched the cracks become larger and more prominent. The egg began rolling around in the corner of the cave as the hatchling inside tried to get out of the place that had been its home. After what seemed like twenty minutes or so, an orange-and-red scaled leg burst out of the egg. This was shortly followed by a triangular head and another leg, then the chest and wings. Finally, after another few moments of struggling, the hatchling was free, all the way to the tip of its spiny tail.

It snorted a few fragments of the egg off of its snout and then turned to look at Mataras, who regarded it warily, unsure if it would attack him or not. Far from attacking him, however, the little orange dragon sniffed at his leg curiously before looking up at him with bright red eyes. It pawed at his leg almost like a cat as it sniffed at his fingers, much to his amusement.

Manipulating his menu with as little movement as possible, he pulled up a bit of raw duck meat that he had obtained while grinding the previous day. He held it out for the little reptile to sniff and then yank out of his hand hungrily. His smile widened slightly, though it still remained sad as the fire-breather wolfed down the meal.

Then it turned from sad to surprise as the dragon looked up at him again, and his menu appeared with the words, 'Fire Dragon wishes to befriend you. Will you accept?' Following the words were the 'yes' and 'no' options. Not entirely certain that he wasn't hallucinating, Mataras hit the affirmative command, and was then asked to give the new familiar a name. At first, his mind drew on a blank, and he was within an ace of selecting 'random', but then he remembered what his sister had called her favorite stuffed dragon toy as a little child.

He entered the name 'Litrosh' and was then met with a new health bar appearing under his own- his new familiar's HP bar, he realized. The baby dragon squawked and used its new wings to leap awkwardly onto his shoulder. He scratched it on the chin and started walking out the way he had come in. Once he stepped outside, he nearly had a heart attack when he came face-to-snout with a boss-sized version of Litrosh.

The massive fire dragon eyed him hungrily, and his hand moved automatically to draw his sword. This, however, jostled the little fire dragon, which squawked angrily at being moved around. Mataras looked over at his shoulder to see the little dragon glaring at him. When he looked back at the field boss, he was surprised to see that it no longer looked hostile, either.

Instead it was looking at Litrosh with a curious gaze, which surprised Mataras. Once mobs had targeted players, they always proceeded to attack. What in the world was going on?

He got his answer a moment later when the dragon returned its gaze to him and lowered its eyes to level with his. Then, even more shockingly, it spoke! "Warrior from afar, you have been blessed with the charge of protecting the last true dragon of Aincrad. Many have tried and failed to find the coveted egg, but you have prevailed. Go now and protect the child with your life." And the dragon touched him on the brow firmly.

He stood as still as a statue, still not sure whether or not the dragon was going to roast him and this was all some part of an elaborate trap. Then the massive orange and red dragon took flight, buffeting him with the wind from its wings, and disappearing into the smoke of the volcano. _That was it_? He thought in disbelief. _I thought that I was supposed to get a sword at the end of this!_

Sighing in a combination of disappointment and resignation, Mataras scratched the little dragon on the head and headed home.

* * *

He had just entered the streets of floor two at midnight when he got an alert from his inventory. He was intrigued to see that he was receiving a gift from Sachi. When he opened the package, inside was a recording crystal. His curiosity piqued, he hit the playback button, standing in the snow of Christmas morning with his new dragon asleep on his head.

"Merry Christmas, Mataras," the crystal said with Sachi's voice. "By the time you get this, I have the feeling I'll be dead, and I'm recording this just in case we never get a chance to say good-bye. Ever since you found me under that bridge, and you told me that we'd be alright, no matter what, I came to realize something important. You have a fire inside that I just don't, and that's nobody's fault but my own. You're so much stronger than I ever will be, but I wanted to thank you for looking out for me anyways.

"And I'm not just talking about inner strength- I figured out how strong you and Kirito really are when you traded swords the other day. I don't know why you didn't want to tell us your real level, but maybe someday you'll tell me. But it doesn't matter. What matters is, I really care about you, Mataras, and I want you to be happy.

"See, when I was little, my dad left my mom and me, and I never had an older brother to look up to. So I guess that's why I took to calling you Big Brother so easily. You've been good to me, Mataras, helping me without asking for anything in return. Despite how cold you act towards other people, I know from your interactions with Kirito and me that you're actually a kind-hearted person. I don't ever want you to stop being kind to your friends, at least.

"I recorded this because I knew that if I died, you and Kirito would blame yourselves terribly for it, and you might end up being bitter towards everyone else, or even each other. But I don't want you to live in regret, Big Brother. I want you to live and be happy, for my sake as well as yours.

"And who knows? Maybe I'll still be around when you get this, and then you can tell me how you feel about being a part of the Moonlit Black Cats. And how you feel about being my Big Brother. I know this'll be cutting it close, but since it's Christmas, I think I'll sing you a song. Believe or not, I'm actually not a half-bad singer.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Had a very shiny nose  
And if you ever saw it  
You would even say it glows  
All of the other reindeer  
Used to laugh and call him names  
They never let poor Rudolph  
Join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve  
Santa came to say,  
Rudolph with your nose so bright,  
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight

Then how all the reindeer loved him,  
As they shouted out with glee,  
Rudolph the red-nose Reindeer  
You'll go down in history."

"Anyways, I hope that wherever you are, you're happy and safe, Mataras. Thank you. Good-bye." The crystal fell to the ground and shattered into thousands of polygons, startling Litrosh, who chirped and dug his claws into Mataras' scalp. But the boy's eyes were burning and he didn't even notice.

* * *

The house was dark and quiet as the Red Swordsman stepped inside. Well, not totally dark. He saw that the candles were still on in the kitchen, so he headed over to turn them off. He only stopped at the entrance when he saw Sachi sitting at the table, her gaze locked onto a scrapbook. As he watched, she turned the page and smiled sadly at a larger photo that took up a full page.

"Do you remember this one?" she asked without looking up.

Mataras moved to look over her shoulder at a picture of the Moonlit Black Cats, back before the days of floor twenty-seven. Ducker had Keita in a headlock while Sasamaru and Tetsuo stood off to the side, laughing at the sight. Kirito was standing on the left side of the picture, an awkward smile on his young face. And last of all stood Sachi on the right, smiling at her friends' antics, a long arm draped across her shoulders, which was attached to a serious-looking teenager in a red cloak. In the background was the tavern that they had used as a home base for many months.

"That was the day that we joined you guys," Mataras nodded as he spoke quietly.

"Yeah," the girl sighed as she shut the book and put it back in her inventory.

After a moment of silence, Mataras put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I got your message."

"You did?"

"Aye," he sighed. "You really thought that you were going to die, eh?"

"Yeah…" she sighed heavily. "And part of me even wishes that I had. But I know that would have hurt you really bad, so I keep on going. I'm… I'm sorry that I've been so down lately, Mataras. It's Christmas, and-"

"No, it's alright," Mataras said with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder. "We all get dozens of Christmas' in our lives, but a friend can never be replaced. The pain of loss never entirely goes away, but eventually you learn to bear it. You learn to live with the burden."

Sachi sagged slightly, and he could hear small gasps as her tears hit the table. "I… I wish… th-that I… could… be strong like you…" she gasped pitifully. Mataras moved to sit beside her, and as he did, Litrosh hopped onto the table and sniffed at Sachi's hands, which were wet with tears.

She looked up quickly and gasped in fright, but Mataras quickly reassured her. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "Litrosh here won't hurt you."

"L-Litrosh?" she asked in a quavering voice.

"Yes," he nodded. "The sword Argo told me about was a hoax, but somehow I ended up with this little guy following me." And he scratched Litrosh on the chin, who warbled happily at the touch. After a moment, Sachi also began rubbing him on the back.

"He's beautiful," she said with a slight smile.

"I'm glad that you think so," Mataras smiled. "And for whatever it's worth, I'm really glad that you survived, Little Sister." Sachi turned and threw her arms around him, and he pulled her close as the tears flowed anew from his own eyes. "Merry Christmas, Sachi. I hope that we have many more together, both here in Aincrad, and in the real world…"

* * *

Mataras' eyes shot open as the memory stopped. Blinking rapidly, he realized that he must have dozed off. He chuckled as he recalled briefly that the next morning, Kirito presented him with the sword that he had been searching for. As it turned out, the Black Swordsman had paid his former partner in the beta test to get Mataras to go the wrong way while he went to go get the real sword for him in order to present it to him as a Christmas present.

"What're you laughing about?" Sachi asked as she came and joined her brother and the dragon on the balcony, holding a tray of sandwiches.

"I was remembering when Kirito gave me the Sun Blade for Christmas," he replied as he grabbed one of the sandwiches. "Don't ask me how I got to that memory. My brain works very strangely sometimes."

"I know," Sachi giggled. "You didn't need to tell me that last part." Mataras thought about glaring at her, but decided that it simply wasn't worth the effort. And even if he was going to say or do anything, he was interrupted by another message from Asuna.

It read, 'Meet us tomorrow morning at our new house, please. We found someone who needs help, and we're not sure what to do. Thanks guys, Asuna and Kirito.'

Frowning, Mataras showed the message to Sachi, who shared in a similar expression. "That's weird," she muttered. "Wonder who they found?"

"I have no idea," Mataras sighed. "There's no image attached this time. I just hope that whoever it is, they don't ruin Asuna and Kirito's honeymoon. The last thing they need is more attention right now."

* * *

 **Sachi: Well, that was more uplifting than what originally happened.**

 **Mataras: Agreed- never liked the idea of you dying, really. I thought it was a tad too dark for you to pass even after Kirito had lost everyone else, so I did my best to rectify the situation.**

 **Sachi: For what it's worth, I'm glad you saved me- I've enjoyed being part of this story.**

 **Mataras: Of course! I always thought that you would have made a great addition to Kirito's team/family. I'm simply glad that so many people agree with me.**

 **Sachi: Well, I hate to end right now, but I think we'd better let everyone get on to the next chapter.**

 **Mataras: As you wish- readers, read on!**


	13. The Child

**A/N: Okay, the chapter that some of you have been looking forward to due to a certain little girl is here! I hope that the reactions recorded here are what you were hoping for, because personally, I find them pretty funny. Please leave a review with your thoughts and enjoy the tale!  
**

* * *

The Child

"So, what did they find exactly?" Sachi asked as she and Mataras walked through the town of floor twenty-two. It was in the early part of the morning, where the sun had only been up for a half an hour or so. They were both wearing their signature colors, albeit without the armor and weaponry that they normally carried with them, though it was stored away in their inventory, ready to be equipped at a moment's notice. Litrosh was napping on top of Mataras' head, as was his want.

"All that the message specified was that they had found a person that might need our help," Mataras replied with a frown. "Here I am hoping that somebody doesn't have a job for us- I was getting used to being on vacation."

"If it was a job, don't you think that Asuna and Kirito would have just taken it themselves?" Sachi countered.

"No, I doubt that," Mataras sighed. "They're on their honeymoon, after all, and I doubt that they'd want to be bothered with a client right now."

"That's fair," Sachi conceded. "Still… I wonder what could be so important that they'd ask us down here all of a sudden." Mataras just hoped that it wasn't anything that involved violence for several more days.

* * *

As it turned out, what happened was- at least, in his opinion- much, much worse. "Yui, this is your Uncle Mataras and Aunt Sachi," Asuna said with a charming smile to a little girl with long, flowing black hair, and an adorable face.

"Wait, wha-?" Mataras sputtered as the little girl looked up and smiled at him shyly. "Uncle…? Wait, _what_?" Mataras took an involuntary step backwards while Sachi smiled brightly and went down to say high to the little girl.

"Hi there, Yui!" she said as hugged the child. "You're a cute little girl! Where did these two ever find such an adorable thing like you?" Yui awkwardly returned the hug, while looking up Asuna with a look that said, 'Help me; I don't know how to handle this!' Mataras could honestly say that he felt the same.

Looking over at Kirito, who was grinning, he walked over and whispered, "What in the world is going on here?! Why is Asuna telling her to call me her uncle?! You know I'm not good with little kids!"

"Whoa, calm down, bro," Kirito said as he held up his hands in defense. "She's the one that I told you about. She's lost her memory, and we might need help to find whoever her family might be. I mean, she's too young to have logged in by herself- at least that's what Asuna and I figured."

"And the part about calling me uncle…?" Mataras demanded slowly.

"Well… When we found her, she was passed out," Kirito answered. "We noticed pretty fast that she doesn't have a cursor of any kind on her- probably a system glitch. And when she woke up a little while ago, she wasn't able to pronounce our names. So now she calls me 'Daddy', and Asuna 'Mommy." Mataras and Kirito looked over at Asuna, who was beaming happily at the little girl as she started to warm up to Sachi, who was absolutely delighted to meet Yui. She looked happier than Mataras had ever seen her.

Mataras could only think of one thing to say as he saw attached Asuna was already. "Well this is probably going to end on a sour note," he muttered grimly. Kirito slapped him on the back of the head in response.

* * *

Later, when they were all having lunch, Mataras kept eyeing Yui nervously. He was never known for being able to deal with kids all that well, so he usually had left it up to his sister, Victoria. Now, however, Yui kept looking at him from her end of the coffee table with unusually intelligent eyes. He kept trying to ignore that stares that she gave him, but even while she ate a sandwich loaded with spices that would make even a fire dragon cringe, she barely blinked whenever she looked at him.

Asuna finally took notice after talking with Sachi for some time, and she turned to her surrogate daughter, saying, "Honey, it's rude to stare at people. You're making your uncle uncomfortable."

Yui cocked her head at Asuna and said, "But he seems so sad about something. I was hoping that maybe I could figure out why he's so sad, and then I could try and make his hurt go away." Mataras could only widen his eyes at the little girl, who looked back at him and gave him her most charming smile. "I think that he would have a nice smile," she added.

"Uh…" Mataras looked over at Kirito, who shrugged. "How old is she?"

"She looks about eight or so, but we really can't tell, and she doesn't remember," Asuna sighed as she grasped Yui on the shoulder gently. "She struggles with her words some of the time, so we don't know if maybe she's suffering some kind of psychological scarring from being trapped in here for two years. Just now was something we hadn't seen before, though."

"Well, you haven't known her for a whole day yet, either," Sachi pointed out. "Though you are right, most kids aren't that perceptive. Maybe Yui's just extra-special." She smiled at the little girl, who smiled right back.

"See?" she said as she turned back to Mataras. "Auntie has a nice smile! You should try to smile more often, too!"

"Eh…" Mataras grimaced. "My smiles… Usually don't find their source in amusement."

"What does that mean?" Yui asked with her head slightly cocked to the side.

"Uh…" Mataras began to sweat lightly. "Let's just say that I'm usually not a very nice person, and when I smile, others usually don't want to smile with me. I'm told that I can be rather scary when I smile."

"Then maybe you should try a different smile!" Yui giggled. "Mommy, Uncle is a very silly person, isn't he?" Asuna and Kirito could only chuckle as Mataras' eyebrows shot up and he sputtered as he tried to come up with a reply.

 _Who is this child_? He thought, bewildered. _She seems so much like a normal child, and yet she seems to pick up in things that many adults would fail to notice._

* * *

Later, when Yui was outside, playing 'tag' with Litrosh under Sachi's supervision, the Moonlit Black Cats finally began to discuss what to do with the enigmatic child. "So…" Asuna sighed.

"So," Kirito repeated. "What to do? She's a blank slate. No memories at all…"

 _What a terrible fate, to not know who you are_ , Mataras thought with pity as he looked outside at the little girl with pity. _Such an existence would likely drive me mad._

"It's almost like she's a baby again," Asuna said, obviously trying not to cry. "I just… I'm sorry, guys… I just don't know what to do." Mataras looked on approvingly as Kirito moved over to clasp his wife's hand.

"I know how you feel," the Black Swordsman said quietly. "It's weird, seeing how we just met her and all… But somehow, having her here has made our little cabin feel like a real home." He smiled briefly, but then his face fell. "But it's a catch twenty-two. We have to get back to the front lines so we can work to clear the game for people like her. Otherwise, it just mean that much longer for her to be free from this death trap."

"So that's why you need our help in finding her family," Mataras said. "Your vacation is due to end in three weeks, and if she stays here for much longer, you know it'll be impossible to go back to fighting on the front lines. And as two of our best, the assault team would be hurting pretty bad without you guys."

"Yeah," Kirito said sadly. "We… Uh…" He paused to wipe his eyes for a second before sniffing and saying, "I'm thinking that we should start at the Town of Beginnings."

"Good start," Mataras nodded. "But those Army fools run that part of Aincrad, so we'd best go in armed." He grinned and cracked his knuckles as he said, "You know, when you guys called me down here, I was worried that you might have me go take care of a job fighting bandits for you. Now, I actually _want_ to fight somebody- I think vacation has been making me lazy."

"And the Red Swordsman's back," Kirito grinned slightly.

"Oh, but before we go down there," Mataras said as he opened his menu. "Sachi and I had something made for each of you, as wedding presents." Before either one of them could protest, he handed Asuna a white bundle of clothes, and Kirito a small box.

Asuna unfolded her bundle to find an outfit similar to her KOB uniform, save for that instead of red and yellow being the secondary themes, the red lines were now black with the yellow colored as silver. "How did…?" she looked up at a grinning Mataras, dumbfounded.

"I managed to purchase one of the KOB uniforms from your rearguard commander the other day," he answered. "Then I took it to a tailor to get the colors changed a bit so that you could match your husband." The young couple blushed at his words, but Asuna thanked him for his gift nonetheless.

Kirito's gift was a thick ring that would raise his speed by twenty points. "Where'd you get this?" the Black swordsman asked suspiciously, remembering that Grimlock had at one point been in possession of a ring like this one.

"Relax, I got it off a monster drop," Mataras said with a wave of his hand. "I haven't seen Grimlock since the day he was thrown in prison. I decided to give you that so you can keep up with miss Lightning Flash in the field." Kirito relaxed visibly and thanked his friend for his gifts.

* * *

As the Cats stepped into town through the teleport gate, each one grimaced slightly as they were struck by the same memory…

" _This marks the end of the tutorial, and the official start of Sword Art Online," Kayaba had said. "I wish you all the best of luck." Kirito had grabbed Klein and made a run for it. Asuna had collapsed on the cobblestones, sobbing as the people around her erupted into panic. Sachi had grabbed tightly onto Keita, who told his friends that it would be okay, that he'd figure something out, that they'd all make it out._

 _Mataras had only looked up into the sky, staring at the place where his captor had been floating not a moment ago. As people around him screamed, cried, begged, and threatened, a slow smile had spread across his face. "Trap me in here will you?" he had said. "Let's just see if you're so high and mighty when you're at the end of my sword, Kayaba?"_

* * *

The Red Swordsman shook off the memories with a dark scowl as they walked down the street with Kirito and Asuna asking Yui if any of the buildings seemed familiar to her. The girl was riding on Kirito's shoulders piggyback style as they talked among themselves.

He eagerly awaited the day when he would be able to cut out the tongue that produced such a dry, mocking, overconfident voice that- Mataras froze in place. _I've heard that voice before_ , he thought. _I've heard Kayaba's voice in here in Aincrad… But when?! And where?!_

Before he could think on it too hard, they heard a woman screaming. "Leave those children alone!" she was shouting. Mataras shared a look with his teammates right before they all took off down the alleyway where the voice had come from.

"Hey, it's that daycare bitch!" a man's voice echoed. "We've been waiting for you!" Then the voices dropped to where the Cats could hear that they were still talking, but what was being said couldn't be made out. As they charged down the alley, they saw a woman making to draw her sword against a squadron of Army troops, all of whom were laughing among themselves.

The Cats didn't even slow down as they approached. They leaped high over the Army men, landing clear behind their backs in front of a trio of small kids. Kirito and Asuna immediately attended to the children, who looked as though they didn't know whether to be relieved or frightened by the appearance of the four teenagers. Sachi and Mataras stared down the Army, who definitely didn't know what to do.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" One of them protested. "What's goin' on here?!"

"Hang on, I got this," the leader said as he stepped forward. Drawing his sword, he raised it high over his head as he said, "You all must be new in town, so I'm gonna make this really clear for you: we're with the Aincrad Liberation Army, and _you do not mess with us_!"

Mataras' eyebrow went up, and Sachi stepped back a couple of paces. "I think I'm gonna let you have this one, Brother," she said as she laughed nervously. "We'll just stay here and watch over the kids."

"That sounds good to me," Mataras grinned savagely as he pulled his sword out of his inventory. "Litrosh, stay with the others." The little dragon leaped off of his shoulder to land on Sachi's head.

The commanding officer laughed as the slim teenager in a red shirt and black jeans approached him with a jagged-looking blade. He was about to bring the sword down on his head to teach him a lesson when he felt an explosive force smash into his face and slam on his back before he could even blink.

"You threaten children," Mataras said, his dark eyes blazing like thunderstorm clouds. "You act like you're doing them a favor. I've seen your kind before. And you know what?" He stabbed at the commander as he tried to crawl away, the explosive force send him sprawling again. "I made sure that they'd never do it again."

"You…" the man growled as Mataras advanced on him again, and his men began to retreat. "You'll pay for this… The Army will- Argh!" Again, he went flying down the street. Even though he wasn't losing health points, the sense of being knocked down over and over again wasn't a pleasant one.

"The Army can go on dung heap where it belongs," Mataras retorted as he advance on them all again. "I'm the Red Swordsman, Mataras of the Moonlit Black Cats from the Assault Team- and you are all about to be introduced to a new world of fear."

"Uh-oh," Sachi said as she winced.

"What's wrong, Sachi?" Asuna asked her guild mate.

"Nothing major- I just think big Brother might take a little while longer to finish this up than if you or Kirito had taken care of this." Sachi tried to smile, but it came out as a pathetic attempt.

"Whaddya mean?" Kirito asked. In response, Sachi pointed at the Army, who were now in full retreat. Before Kirito could ask what he was supposed to look for, Mataras leapt high over the group and landed in front of them, cutting off their escape. "Oh," Kirito grimaced as his teammate begon knocking them all over like bowling pins, almost too fast for the eye to follow.

"Well, Yui, looks like we might be here for a while," Asuna grinned at the girl. "But hey, your uncle is one tough cookie, isn't he? Uh… Yui?" The last part was drawn out of Yui as the little girl reached up to the sky.

"Everybody's hearts are…" she seemed to whisper. "Everybody's hearts…" Her eyes widened briefly before she shut them tight and she seemed to try and shrink into a little ball on Kirito's back, much to the Cats' concern. Before they could ask what was happening, she squeaked out, "I was never here… in this place… I was always alone… in the dark…" She gasped as if in pain and then screamed to the heavens as she flailed on Kirito's back. The sound of her cry seemed to warp the very world in which they stood, riddling the air with the high-pitched whine of static.

The children standing near the teenagers cringed and covered their ears. The teacher that had been watching the whole thing in shock ran over tried her best to comfort her charges amidst the terrible noise. Sachi and Asuna covered their own ears in an attempt to shut out the painful sound.

Mataras seemed to be the only one that wasn't pained by the sound, though it definitely caught his attention. Instead he simply cocked his head and looked up at the sky as the world around him seemed to vibrate and shudder ever so slightly. He ignored the Army men that he had just been pummeling a moment ago as they escaped and fixed his gaze on Yui, who began to fall off of Kirito's back.

"Asuna!" he bellowed, snapping the girl out of her trance. She quickly caught the child up before she hit the ground, cradling her in her arms. The Red Swordsman dashed over, his gaze fixed with concern.

"What's happening to her?" he asked as the girl looked up at Asuna, bleary-eyed.

"Mommy…" she cried softly. "I'm scared…" And she passed out.

"Yui…" Kirito said in shock. "My God…"

As the others tried to rouse the little girl, Mataras stood back a little bit. One thought ran through his head: _Yui, who_ are _you?_

* * *

 **Kirito: So what are you on to right now?**

 **Mataras: Do you mean about Kayaba or Yui?**

 **Kirito: Either or.**

 **Mataras: Either way, I'm not answering- stop fishing for answers!**

 **Sachi: You can't really blame him for wanting to know.**

 **Mataras: He already knows!**

 **Asuna: Then why do you keep refusing to answer?**

 **Mataras: Because our readers may not know! Although that's unlikely, it is still taboo to mention specific details about the future.**

 **Asuna: Since when do you care about following rules?  
**

 **Mataras: All right, I'll give you that. Still, the answer to Kirito's question is still 'I'm not telling'.**

 **Kirito: What are you, five?**


	14. The Daughter

**A/N: Well, writing this chapter nearly left me in tears... I have the feeling that it will do the same for some of you. Please leave your thoughts in a review after you've read the chapter- I really appreciate it.  
**

* * *

The Daughter

"Is this place always so busy?" Mataras asked, a little on edge as he looked around at the noisy room. They were in a cathedral on floor one, where twenty or thirty kids were attacking their lunches happily. The Cats, Yui, and another person were in a corner table, where Mataras felt the most comfortable. Sachi had been afraid that when they walked in, Mataras was going to turn right around and go home. However, the only thing he did was head over to the corner without a word, his jaw set and eyes darting all around.

"Yes, sad to say," said Sasha, the lady that the Moonlit Black Cats had rescued the previous day. "I actually used to be a front-liner myself, up to about floor twenty. But since I lived down here, I just found it harder and harder to leave each day as I saw how distraught the kids were. So, I decided to rent out this church and turn it into an orphanage of sorts."

"That's so awful," Asuna said looking around. "At least they seem to be okay now."

"Yeah, it was pretty hard for a lot of them, especially since all of these kids are the ones that logged in without their parents," Sasha said sadly. "But we manage to get by well enough, and they're safe here. And speaking of safe…" She looked down at Yui, who was munching absentmindedly on a roll while she looked intently at Mataras, who tried ignore the stare. "How is Yui doing?"

Before any of them could answer, the girl in question leaped out of her chair with surprising nimbleness, throwing her arms around his neck and hold on as he all but fell out of his chair. "Yui?!" he cried. "What are you doing?! Let go!" Though he could have easily tossed her off with his strength stat, he couldn't bring himself to harm her in any way. He may have been afraid of children, but that didn't mean that he'd attack them, either.

"Not until you smile!" she giggled.

" _What_?!" He shot his teammates a look that begged for help, but the only thing he received was a loud round of laughter from the Cats as he tried to find a way to get Yui off of him without hurting her. Some of the other children looked over to see what was going on, and they began to laugh as well, much the embarrassment of the Red Swordsman, who was turning nearly the same shade of red as his famed Dragon Hide Jacket.

"Yui, you are setting a bad example for the other kids!" he protested. "Please, get off of me!" He was leaning halfway out of his chair with Yui refusing to budge thus far.

"Not until you smile!" she grinned mischievously.

"Not happening," he muttered. "Come on, let go." Looking over at Kirito, who was still laughing, he said, "Brother, unless you want me to give out your new home address to info brokers, I suggest you get her off of me this instant."

"Oh come on," Kirito grinned. "Not even you would- No, forget it, he probably would." Moving over, he picked up Yui and put her back in her seat as he said, "Maybe some other time, Yui. He might take a while, but you'll see him smile eventually."

"Humph," Mataras scowled as he straightened his shirt and resumed eating his breakfast.

Yui looked up at Sachi, a little puzzled. "Did I make him mad, Auntie?"

"No, sweetheart, he's just always grouchy," Sachi grinned at her brother, who ignored her entirely. "Your Daddy's right, he just needs some time." Mataras muttered something under his breath, but declined to repeat himself when Asuna asked him to speak up.

Kirito turned to Sasha with a smile and said, "Well, she seems fine to me. But have you seen her around before? We came down here looking for her parent or guardian after we found her wandering in the forest of floor twenty-two. She's lost her memory, so she can't tell us what happened to her."

Sasha shook her head in a negative gesture. "No, I haven't seen her before, not ever," she answered. "I go wandering the streets every day looking for any kids that might need my help, but I've never see her. In fact, it's been a few months since I found anybody new- I think that these might be all the kids under the age of twelve in SAO."

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud knock at the door. Mataras' eyes narrowed as he approached the door with his sword in hand. Sasha came up behind him as the kids all went quiet. When he opened the door, there was a woman with long silver hair standing outside, dressed in the casual Army uniform.

"What do you want?" Mataras growled as he recognized the uniform and guild symbol displayed above her health points bar. "If you're here about your bully boys from yesterday, I suggest you get lost. These people have it hard enough as it is without your stupid lackey's running around, playing-"

"Actually, I came to thank you for what you did yesterday," the woman said, surprising Mataras and silencing him instantly. "You did the right thing by putting those men in their place. My name is Yuriel, and I'm actually the Vice Commander of the Aincrad Liberation Army."

"Uh… What?" Mataras said.

"You're Mataras of the Moonlit Black Cats, right?" the woman asked. "Is your guild leader here with you? I need to talk to him about something very important."

Mataras looked back into the room, where Kirito met his gaze form the table. "One of the heads of the Army wants to talk to you," he said. "She says it's important, and she's not armed for trouble."

Kirito nodded, all business. "Let her in," he said. "Unless you have any objections, Miss Sasha?" When the teacher stated that it was fine, Mataras sheathed his sword and stepped aside to admit Yuriel.

* * *

They met in a back room where Litrosh had been napping. He seemed disgruntled that a group of people had come in to ruin his slumber, but he quickly settled on top of Mataras' head, whereupon Yui looked up at the little lizard with a mischievous smile on her face again.

Seeing the look, Mataras paled and said, "Yui, don't even think about it."

"Aw…" she pouted as she sat down.

Sachi looked at her brother and said, "I thought you were making progress- and if you say 'baby steps' again, I'll slap you." Mataras' jaw snapped shut, much to the amusement of Kirito and Asuna.

"They already act like an old married couple," Kirito grinned, right before Mataras punched him in the face. He winced, got up, and rubbed his cheek, saying, "Okay, I deserved that."

"And next time, I'm using Guilty Thorn," Mataras snapped. Yui laughed at the sight, much to the chagrin of her surrogate parents. As he sat down, he turned to Yuriel and said, "Alright, spill it. Why did you call us back to talk in private?"

Yuriel sat down and turned to Kirito. "Are you all familiar with the original goal of the Army?" she asked.

"Yeah, you guys wanted to be able to spread resources or something like that, right?" Kirito said with his hand on his chin.

"Yes, that's correct," Yuriel nodded. "The army's founder is man named Thinker. At first the goal was easy to achieve, but then…"

"The guild got too large, huh?" Sachi guessed, to which Yuriel nodded.

"Thinker never wanted the guild to become the dictatorial society it's become," she said. "He's a kind-hearted man. But unfortunately, a number of players weren't satisfied with just sharing everything- they wanted to keep some of the goods for themselves. And after much infighting, one man in particular became very powerful. His name is Kibaou."

Asuna, Kirito, and Mataras' minds flashed back to the first boss raid, where the man in question had tried to get the beta testers to take the fall for the deaths of the two thousand plus players. He had also tied to get them to cough up their spoils, but Agil had stopped him before he could get carried away. It seemed as though he wasn't done stirring up trouble.

"Not that punk again," Mataras scowled.

"You know him?" Yuriel asked, surprised.

"Yeah, something like that," Asuna nodded. "So what did he do to cause so much trouble for you guys?"

"He began monopolizing all the best monster spawn points for himself and his faction- it was getting pretty clear that he didn't really care about clearing the game," Yuriel answered. "But when some people started to question his motives recently, he sent his best squad on a boss raid to prove his commitment to the cause."

"Corvatz," Sachi said softly.

"Yes, that's correct," Yuriel said. "And as I understand it, your guild, along with the Furin Kazan saved most of their lives. So again, thank you."

"We only did what any decent human should," Asuna said with a soft smile. "Besides, it was all really Kirito and Mataras."

"And that's why I came here today," Yuriel said. "When the raid turned into a fiasco, Kibaou lost a number of his supporters. Scared and desperate to maintain his power, he lured Thinker into a trap, hoping to get him killed so that he could take over, I think."

"Wait, what kind of trap?" Kirito asked while Mataras glowered at the thought of the spike-haired insurrectionist.

"He sent Thinker a teleport crystal with locked coordinates," Yuriel replied. "The crystal was supposed to take him to a neutral area where they could talk privately, unarmed. Unfortunately, Thinker was too trusting and went in without any weapons. Now he's been trapped inside that dungeon for three days, and he hasn't moved the whole time. He's alive, but I think he's stuck in a safe zone."

"And you want us to help you rescue him?" Mataras said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Yuriel replied. "I know that this should be my responsibility as Vice-Commander, but Kibaou keeps pulling strings to keep people from helping me go to Thinker's rescue." Tears pooled in her eyes as she continued, "I know I'm asking a lot of you, and we just met, but… The thought of Thinker being trapped in there… It's driving me insane!"

She stood up in front of the Cats, eyes watering heavily. "When I heard that one of the most powerful guilds in Aincrad was in town, I thought 'This is my chance!' Please, I need your help to rescue Thinker!" And she sat back down, crying.

"This is a lot to go on just by word of mouth…" Asuna said. "Don't get me wrong, we'd love to help, but is there any way for you to prove what you're saying is true?"

"Don't worry, Mommy," Yui said with a gentle smile. "She's telling the truth."

"How can you tell?" Asuna asked, surprised at the child's forthrightness.

"I dunno," Yui chirped. "I can just tell."

"I'm with the kid," Mataras smiled wolfishly as he cracked his knuckles. "This lady seems pretty genuine to me. And I'd like the chance to throw down with Kibaou- us beaters owe him a beating."

"You agree with her?!" Kirito said in surprise.

"Hey, just because little people scare me doesn't mean I can't agree with them when they have a good idea," Mataras retorted.

"Hmm…" Kirito thought about it for a moment. Then he smiled at his wife and said, "Let's do it. I'd rather trust her and regret it than not trust her and regret it." Asuna smiled and nodded her approval.

"Th… Thank you," Yuriel said with a deep bow. "This means so much to me."

"Before we get going though…" Mataras said as he looked at Kirito. "We need to decide who will be taking which assignment."

"What do you mean?" Sachi asked.

"We need to decide who's gonna go into the dungeon to rescue Thinker, and who's gonna go get Kibaou for arrest," Kirito replied, Mataras nodding in confirmation. "We could go do each job all together, but then we run the risk of Kibaou just disappearing off the map altogether. We need to catch him off-guard."

"I personally don't care how we do this, as long as I'm the one that gets to throw him in the prison," Mataras smirked.

"Sometimes I wonder if he _likes_ getting to beat people up in here…" Sachi muttered.

"What?" Mataras objected. "It's not like they can't use a potion or anything. And I only beat up people that deserve it."

"Um…" Yuriel tried to interject. "Can we get back to planning?"

"Shh," Mataras said with a raised finger. "The grown-ups are talking."

"Mataras!" Asuna cried in embarrassment. Turning to a stunned Yuriel, she said, "Please excuse him, ma'am. He's just got a few screws loose…"

"Would you like to tell me something I don't know?" Mataras said dryly.

"Shut up!" the others yelled at him. Yuriel was wide-eyed. Litrosh issued a warning growl to let everyone know that he wanted to go back to sleep. Yui just laughed.

* * *

It was eventually decided that they would do the jobs one at a time, with rescuing Thinker being the top priority. If Kibaou got, away, it would be too bad, but the look in Mataras' eyes told Yuriel that the chances of that were slim. He was the Red Swordsman, after all. Hunting down criminal players was his specialty.

Despite everyone's protests when they tried to leave, Yui had insisted on coming down with them into the dungeon. Kirito and Asuna were suckers for the little girl, Mataras had thought when they gave in on the condition that she stay back with Asuna while the other Cats handled the fighting.

When they inquired which floor they would be heading up to, Yuriel had replied, "The dungeon is actually beneath the prison, here on floor one. Thinker is deep inside it."

"Wait, there's a dungeon under the Town of Beginnings?" Kirito had asked, surprised. "Whoa. That wasn't in the beta, and it wasn't mentioned in the official manual or website at all."

"Yes, and it seems that the more the floors above are cleared, the wider the dungeon gets down there," Yuriel said as she began walking down the dark stairs, leading into a very tomb-like dungeon that gave Asuna the creeps.

Kirito had equipped his dual-wielding for the dungeon that they entered, and Mataras had his Dragon Blood activated. Sachi also had her Pure Heart in the passive skills slot in case any of the mobs could use poison-type attacks. The monsters they encountered were mostly large frog-like monsters and while they weren't particularly difficult for the pair, but there was a great number of them.

Yuriel watched with surprise as the Moonlit Black Cats went to work with their swords, making short work of a swarm that numbered in the forties. "Maybe I should help them…" she said uncertainly. Yui was giggling as she watched, Litrosh perched on top of her head. Mataras had given the little dragon strict orders to protect Yui.

"Nah, let 'em have it," Asuna chuckled. "Kirito and Mataras both love getting in on a good battle. Let them have their fun." No sooner had she said so than did the three of them return, Kirito grinning happily while Mataras scanned through his inventory. Sachi smiled at Yui, who clapped her hands in delight at the sight of the three victors.

"Man oh man, that was fun," Kirito laughed.

"Did you get any drops?" Asuna asked her husband.

"Uh huh!" the teenager grinned wider. He opened his menu and pulled out a massive leg of raw frog meat. "Think you can cook this up?" he asked as he put it close to her face.

"Not on your life!" she shrieked, slapping the meat out of his hand and sending it flying down the stony hallway, where it hit the floor and shattered.

"Aw…" the Black Swordsman whined. Then he scowled and opened his menu again. "Okay then, what am I supposed to do with these?!" And he suddenly had an armful of fourteen frog legs.

"Get those away from me!" Asuna shrieked.

"Come on!" Kirito protested. "The weirder it looks, the better it tastes!"

"No!"

"Just put some soy sauce on it!"

"I'm not wasting my sauce on that stuff!"

"How would that be a waste?!"

As the two bickered back and forth, Sachi smiled at them while Mataras simply planted his face in his palm. Yuriel was so overwhelmed by the bizarre behavior of the guild that she finally started laughing at the absurdity of the whole situation.

"Hey!" Yui exclaimed excitedly, catching everyone's attention immediately. Mataras peeked through his fingers at the girl. Kirito looked over at her with Asuna's hand in the middle of shoving one of the frog legs in his mouth. She was smiling happily at Yuriel, who looked very confused now.

"That's the first time I've ever seen you smile!" Yui said. "You have a nice smile! You should smile more often!" And what else could Yuriel do but smile at the little girl?

Yui looked over at Mataras, whose face was neutral. However, Yui could see the shine in his eyes and she said, "I think a smile makes people look a lot better, don't you, Uncle?"

"Depends on the person wearing the smile," he said as he turned around to resume the journey. But Sachi clearly saw the small grin playing across his lips as he walked deeper into the catacomb-like dungeon.

* * *

It took them a few hours to make it near to where Yuriel's map indicated Thinker's location. They had been moving in peace for about ten minutes when Yuriel decided to re-check the map. "Thinker hasn't moved from here in a couple of days," Yuriel said. "Which is why I believe he managed to find a safe zone to hide in."

"Hmm…" Mataras mused as he peered at the map. "He should be down at the end of this corridor then…" He paused in thought as the others walked ahead. Sachi turned to look back at him as he suddenly frowned.

"Is everything okay, Brother?" she asked.

"Sachi," he said quietly. "Where did all the monsters go?"

"Hunh?" she asked with her head cocked.

Looking back behind him, Mataras' frown deepened. "If this place is so hard, how come there aren't any of the mobs that we should be seeing down here?"

"Maybe this whole corridor is a safe zone?" Sachi guessed, but Mataras shook his head as he began moving again.

"If that were the case, we would have noticed a ripple effect in the air," he said, thoughts still racing. "The only times we've seen a dungeon floor get clear like this…"

"Is right before a boss lair," Sachi finished for him with a slight frown. "Wait…" Struck by the same thought, they charged at a full sprint, even as the people ahead of them began to jog forward.

"Stop!" Mataras called out.

"We think there's a-" Her voice caught in her throat as she saw Kirito suddenly accelerate to tackle Yuriel to the ground. He was just in time to help her avoid being cleaved in half by a massive scythe. Mataras and Sachi redoubled their speed, catching up to the others just in time for the wielder of the scythe to fully reveal itself, even as the room around them began to change colors, indicating the appearance of a boss.

It was easily twenty meters in height, floating above the ground like a phantom. Its face was that of a skull, with glowing red eyes shining out of the empty sockets. The name above it read 'The Fatal Scythe'. To Mataras' horror, he couldn't even see its health bars, meaning that it was above his mob analyzer skill's ability to detect. It was as though the Grim Reaper himself had manifested in the game.

"This thing belongs on floor ninety or higher!" he shouted at the others. Looking past the boss, he could see a man in an army uniform like Yuriel's- Thinker, he assumed. Looking back at Kirito and Asuna, he shouted, "Get them out of here! Sachi and I can hold it off long enough for you to get away!"

"We're not leaving you!" Kirito shouted back. Getting to his feet, he said to Yuriel, "Take Yui into the safe zone while we handle this. Teleport out of here, and we'll join you soon." Yuriel did as she was told immediately, as the Moonlit Black Cats assembled before the boss, which seemed to have been waiting for them to gather.

It whirled the massive scythe into position as Kirito called out, "Alright, Asuna and I will block while you two try and get in some hits!" Then it struck, and the four teenagers were scattered like leaves in the wind.

Asuna, Kirito, and Sachi were thrown back the way that they had come while Mataras landed near the entrance to the safe zone. His sword was tossed several yards away, and he rolled to his haunches painfully. Looking up at his health bar, he saw that the scythe's single blow had drained almost half his health. Kirito was a little better off than him, but not by much. And Asuna was already in the yellow zone. Sachi had the highest defense stat, but she was still down by about a quarter of health.

 _We can't survive a fight against this thing_ , he thought grimly. Then, he saw someone come up behind him and lay a hand on his shoulder. "Yui?" he growled. "Get back inside and get out of here!"

"Don't worry, Uncle," she said with a small smile. "It'll be okay. Take this." And in her hand appeared a massive blade of fire, causing Mataras' eyes to widen.

"Is that thing going to burn me?" he asked.

"Just use it on the boss," she said in response, unmoving. "Unless you want Litrosh to fight the boss all on his own." Before Mataras could ask what she meant, a mighty roar shook the tunnels, setting everyone's ears ringing. A moment later, a massive orange-and-red dragon smashed into the boss shoulder first, scoring a solid hit on the deadly monster.

Mataras' jaw dropped as he repeated, "Litrosh?!" Turning to Yui, he asked, "What did you do to him?"

"I will explain everything soon, Mataras," she said solemnly. "But your friends will die if we don't act now. Please, take this and use it to defeat the boss. One hit will do it."

"All right," he said as he took the flaming sword. "I'll trust you, but I hope you have some answers ready, because I have many questions." With that, he leaped up high to strike at the boss.

The scythe slapped the now-massive Litrosh to the floor, stunning him. But before it could land a fatal blow, Mataras let out a mighty roar of his own and brought the flaming sword down on the back of the boss.

From where Kirito and the others lay, they could have sworn that they saw fear in the eyes of the boss at flames began to swirl around it, burning at the edges of its cloak and weapons. Then the flames began to constrict its victim, burning away more and more of the deadly monster until finally, it disappeared in a shower of sparks to reveal Mataras standing there, empty-handed.

"What…?" Kirito asked as he got to his feet and helped his wife up as well. Mataras moved over to help Sachi, who gratefully accepted his hand in helping her up. "Mataras, what just happened?" Kirito rubbed his aching head.

Litrosh lumbered to his feet and moved to stand next to his master, who rubbed his nose with the palm of his hand. The dragon hummed in contentment, a deep, vibrant sound. In response to his friend's question, he said, "I don't really know." He turned to face Yui, who looked very solemn indeed. "But I think that Yui might able to tell us."

* * *

The five of them were in the safe zone that Thinker had taken refuge in for two days. Litrosh was waiting just outside, since he could no longer fit inside the small room. Yui was sitting on the only decoration, a black rectangle without markings of any kind. The girl had somehow changed back into the white dress that Asuna and Kirito had first found her in while they had been fighting the monster. She had said nothing for several moments, and Asuna couldn't take it anymore.

"Yui, please, say something," she begged.

Yui looked up at the family sadly and said, "Kirito, Asuna." The two of them gave out little starts of surprise as she pronounced their name perfectly, without any hesitation. Turning her sad gaze to the other two, she said, "Sachi… Mataras… everything in the world of Sword Art Online is run by a single, massive program called Cardinal. It controls everything in this world from monster spawns to col and item drops. And it was designed to do so without any human assistance. Not even the Game Master needs to tell it what to do, though I imagine he could if he needed to.

"Since the system was designed to run entirely by itself, it was also designed to care for the world it controls- including the mental welfare of the players in Aincrad." Her gaze returned to Kirito and Asuna as she said in a flat, soft voice, "Mental Healthcare Program Prototype One. Codename: Yui. That is who I am." The couple and their friends each reacted with shock, but it was Asuna that was able to speak first.

"You're… an AI?"

"Yes," Yui whispered, the tears flowing down her face. "I was designed to emulate complex human emotions in order to understand humans and help put them at ease with me. Nothing about me is real- not even my tears. I'm so sorry, Asuna…" She began to sob harder.

"But…" Mataras was still confused. "How did you lose your memory? Did the Game Master do that to you? I mean, an AI and other programs can't lose their memory unless someone deletes it, right?"

In response, Yui wiped her face and said, "On the day of the launch, and for reasons I never understood, I was forbidden by the Cardinal program from interacting with any of the players. I could only watch and monitor their mental states. Their situation, in a word, was horrible." She shut her eyes as she recalled how she had been helpless to prevent the thousands of people from leaping to their deaths. "Error upon error began building up inside of me… and I eventually fell apart.

"But then, one day, I noticed four players whose psyche was far different than those around them. I watched as one overcame his nightmares by helping those around him, one conquered her fears by trusting her comrades, and the other two found meaning and life in this game through their love for one another." She looked up at the Moonlit Black Cats, who could only stare at her, open-mouthed in return. "Each one was so different from one another, and yet they were each able to find happiness and peace wherever they went with one another, even after things seemed horrible.

"I wandered through the forest, hoping to get as close to you as I could," she sniffed, the tears beginning anew. "I've wanted to meet with each of you for the longest time…"

The Cats each looked at one another, many emotions warring through their hearts. Finally, it was Mataras that managed to speak first. He stepped forward and knelt before the little girl so that he could look her in the eyes and said, "Well, I for one, don't care if you're a program. You're Asuna and Kirito's daughter, not just some program that Cardinal can control."

"He's right, Yui," Kirito said as the others moved forward with him. "You're a part of our family. And something that Mataras has taught me while we've been in here is that you look out for your family. If you want something, all you have to do is ask for it."

"I want…" Yui mumbled, eyes downcast. Looking up, she cried as she outstretched her arms, "I want to be with you and Mommy! Daddy!" Asuna finally broke, her own tears falling as she wrapped the little girl in her arms, even as Kirito put his arms around the both of them.

"You will, Yui," Kirito said. "I promise. You'll be with us forever, as our daughter."

"Um…" Mataras said hesitantly. "I really do hate to interrupt you guys right now, but I still have another question." When they all looked at him, he asked, "How did you make Litrosh grow like that? And where did that fire sword come from?"

"I did both of those things," Yui said as she pointed to the black box. As if in response, the cube glowed with blue lines as a keyboard appeared. "This is actually an emergency access console for the GM. I used my admin privileges to create an object capable of deleting the boss. I also used it to alter Litrosh's data to age him two years. In this game, if a familiar's dragon can survive for three years, it will grow to its full size on the day of its generation."

"Wait, but wouldn't the Cardinal notice something happening?" Sachi asked with a frown.

"It likely would have found me out is I had deleted the monster myself, but since Mataras was close by, I gave him the item instead," Yui replied. "As far as the system is concerned, both instances were malfunctions. It will likely patch itself over to ensure that neither cases will repeat themselves, but I should be safe for now."

"What do you mean 'for now?" Asuna asked in alarm.

"When Sword Art Online's final boss is defeated, the game is set to self-destruct while the players are forcibly logged out," Yui answered. "And since I'm a program…" She didn't finish. There was no need to.

"Well, it's a good thing that we have two computer genius' here," Mataras said with a smirk. "I think that they can help you."

"What are you talking about, Mataras?" Sachi asked.

"If Yui can get you into this console, can one of you two move her core program to one of our NerveGears?"

The others looked at him, wide-eyed without a word for several seconds. Then a slow smile lit up Kirito's face. "Yui, would you mind telling your dad the password? I've got a few things I need to do."

* * *

"I still think you went over the top with Kibaou," Asuna grumbled as the guild was on its way home. They had just completed the second part of their job, and now thinker was back in command of the Army, though he said he was thinking about disbanding them and trying to start again from scratch.

"Really?" Mataras said with a raised eyebrow. "What part of that was out of character for me?"

Asuna tried to come up with a comeback, but then realized that he was right. "Fair enough," she conceded.

"What did Uncle Mataras do, Mommy?" asked a little girl with black hair as she watched a massive red dragon flying near the 'sky'.

"Let's just say that Kibaou was forced to learn sword-swallowing really fast," Kirito said with a shudder.

"Uncle, you're a very strange man," Yui sighed heavily.

"Well, get used to it," Mataras replied easily. "You're part of our guild now, so you'll just have to deal with any and all shenanigans we some up with."

"Speaking of which…" Asuna said. "What exactly did you two do back there in the dungeon? I'm still a little lost."

"To sum it up, we managed to use the GM's account to change Yui's status from an immortal object- an AI- to get the Cardinal to recognize her as a player," Sachi grinned. "She's still being saved in Kirito's NerveGear so that when the game ends, she'll be okay. But I'll tell you that it was quite a pain to figure out. Nice work there, Kirito."

"Thanks, but I never would have thought of doing what you did," the boy chuckled back. "I mean, now everyone on the Black Cats has a unique skill- maybe Heathcliff will want to join _us_ now." He recalled how Sachi had, after securing Yui's file, begun rummaging through some of the other controls that the console offered. Unfortunately, it didn't offer a logout option, but what it did do was grant the GM access to all the sword skills in Aincrad.

Using this feature, they had managed to grant Asuna the skill called 'Sonic Blade', which maximized her speed and raised her attack, a skill similar to the Divine Blade that Heathcliff used. To Yui, they gave a skill called 'Divine Eye', which essentially allowed the user to instantly see weak points in their enemy's armor and defenses.

While the others had worked at the console, Mataras had been disturbed by a number of thoughts. _If Akihiko Kayaba is the one that somehow grants people unique skills instead of the system, how does he decide who to give them to? Or does he simply have the option to do so, and Cardinal really is the one that chooses who gets these skills? If that's the case, will he even notice if Asuna and Yui have these abilities?_

"I doubt it," Mataras said to Kirito as he forced himself to come back to the present. He would have to ponder the mystery later.

Then he looked down at Yui, who was smiling expectantly at him. "Okay, you earned it," he said as he broke into a genuine smile and picked her up, setting her on his shoulders. "Welcome to the family, Yui."

* * *

 **Mataras: Oh wait, did I mention above that they were tears of happiness? Haha, YUI LIVES!**

 **Kirito: This has got to be the most upbeat I've ever seen you in the both the story and these little post-segments.**

 **Mataras: Hey, even more than Sachi's death, the original scene for Yui's revelation stung. I'm not afraid to admit that I shed a few tears.**

 **Asuna: So you _do_ have a sensitive side.**

 **Mataras: Of course I do- I'm just better at hiding it more often than some other people.**

 **Kirito: What other people?**

 **Mataras: Hey, look at the time! Let's move on to the next chapter!**


	15. At the Gates of Hell

**A/N: All right, get ready, because this is the second-to-last chapter for this arc! And soon after, we'll get to the beginning of a Fairy Tale many have looked forward to for many months! Link, Start!**

* * *

At the Gates of Hell

A week had passed after they had rescued Yui when it happened. The little girl spent a couple of nights with Kirito and Asuna, but she usually spent the night with Sachi in the apartment while Mataras slept on the couch. Whenever she asked why, Mataras would tell her than her parents stayed up later than she did, and she wouldn't be able to sleep if they were still up. Of course he didn't mention _why_ they would be up that late.

But one of the mornings when Yui had spent the night with her parents, Mataras woke up to a message from Kirito. It said, 'Fishing tournament-type event happening in an hour? Wanna come and watch?' After checking with Sachi, the pair decided to go down- they had nothing better to do anyways.

* * *

When they made it to the lake near to the house, the pair was surprised to see a crowd gathered around the lake. "All of this for a fishing tournament?" Mataras mumbled as he looked around. "Seems like a bit much it you ask me."

"Uncle!" a young voice called out from near the lakeshore. "Auntie!" The brother and sister smiled as they approached Yui, who was holding onto Asuna's hand. The two of them were surprised to see that her face and hair were hidden by a makeshift shawl, but Mataras could guess as to why.

"Worried about all of your fans?" he whispered as he hugged the girl in greeting.

"Shut up," she hissed, but she couldn't keep from smiling. Mataras then bent down to pick Yui up and set her on his slim shoulders. In real life, he would never have tried this, but with his massive strength stat, carrying her was no problem.

"So, what's going on here?" Sachi asked as she looked at the dock to see Kirito and an older gentleman carrying a fishing pole three times his size step up to the edge.

"Oh, Kirito is going to help Mister Nishida catch a fish," Asuna grinned.

"One fish?" Mataras asked with a sidelong glance and a raised eyebrow.

"It's supposed to be monster-sized, according to the guy down there," Asuna shrugged. "Oh, look!" She pointed as the fisherman cast his line, the rod glowing as he activated the skill required to cast such a massive rod. The crowd instantly quieted.

Mataras looked around, bored. "Seriously?" he said in a quiet, bored tone. "I came down for this?"

"Shh!" Yui reached down and clamped her small hand on her uncle's mouth. "you'll scare of the fish!" she whisper-shouted.

Before Mataras could come up with a muffled response, there was action down on the pier. Nishida shouted something at Kirito and handed the rod to him. Kirito looked down at it for a second, perplexed, and Mataras didn't blame him. _Were they trying to pull a switch with a fishing pole?_

He got his answer when Kirito was yanked forward, the rod bending down, hard. The boy in black gritted his teeth and let out his war cry, heaving with all his might. Then, to the surprise of everyone there, he actually began to drag the pole back up, and presumably, the fish along with it.

"How big did you say that thing was supposed to be?" Mataras asked with a slight frown.

"I dunno," Asuna laughed. "No one's ever- whoa!" The other Cats saw the same thing as her, and they decided to do what everyone else did- make a beeline away from the lake entirely.

Only when they turned around did they see that Kirito was wrestling with the line. Before anyone could call out to him, the line snapped. Those that were hoping that he would see what they had and run for it were disappointed. To their shock, he actually began yelling at the lake.

"Kirito!" Asuna called out. "Get away from the water!"

"Why?!" he called back, just as the water behind him exploded, drenching him with lake water, and causing him to land on his back. In doing so, he was forced to look up in fear at the massive orange-and-blue fish that stared down at him.

It was easily five meters tall, armed with jagged teeth, and equipped with six legs that it stood on as it roared at the Black Swordsman. _Now_ he came running, only stopping once he was behind Asuna. "You left me there to die!" he accused his teammates.

"Sorry…" Asuna grinned sheepishly while Yui giggled, highly entertained.

"Kirito, this is serious!" Nishida cried. "That thing is gonna eat us! We gotta do something!"

"Yeah, I'm working on that…" Kirito muttered as he looked at the approaching monster.

Mataras sighed in exasperation before handing Yui to Kirito. "Here," he said as he cracked his knuckles. "Sachi and I got this."

"But you don't have your sword, Mataras!" Asuna cried with worry.

"Sachi has one," he said nonchalantly. "It's just too bad I didn't bring Litrosh- then he could have a proper breakfast." Then he leaped up high even as Sachi drew her straight sword. He came down with axe kick that had a shocking amount of force behind it. The air literally resounded with a shockwave as the blow connected, forcing the massive fish to buckle to the ground, its legs stretched out awkwardly underneath it.

As he used the recoil momentum generated by the fish's resilient flesh to perform a backflip, Sachi made her move. Blade glowing purple, she unleashed a single, high-powered thrust and depleted the last of the monster's health, causing it to disappear in a shower of polygons.

"Nicely done, Sister," Mataras grinned as Sachi sheathed her sword with a satisfied smile.

"Not too bad yourself," she replied. "But the summersault was overdoing it."

"Really?" Mataras feigned surprised. "I thought it was completely appropriate in the moment. And you saw how well it worked."

Before Sachi could make a reply, they were swarmed by a small crowd of fans, each calling out. "You guys are from the Moonlit Black Cats, right?" one man called out.

"You're Sachi, right? You're pretty!"

"Can I have an autograph?!"

"Are you doing anything tonight?"

When they started to get too close for comfort, Mataras took Sachi's sword from her sheathe and whirled it into position. "Back off from my sister!" he shouted. They did so, immediately aware of who he was, even without his trademark red jacket and Guilty Thorn blade in his hand. "That's better," he grinned.

When they were able to rejoin the others, Yui was gushing with praise at how well they had handled the monster, and Asuna was smiling in congratulations. However, when Kirito approached them, his brow was knitted together. "We've got a problem," he said quietly.

When they had gathered in Kirito and Asuna's house, the Black Swordsman finally spoke again. "I got a message from Klein," he began. "It's time for the next boss raid."

"Already?" Mataras was surprised. "That was fast."

"Well, you two can sit this one out," Sachi said with a smile. "I'm sure we can handle it."

"That's the thing," Kirito said with a shake of his head. "Klein said that half of the recon team was wiped out."

"What?!" Asuna gasped, clutching onto Yui tightly, who looked very worried at this point. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know all the details," Kirito answered heavily. "But he's asking that we help out on this raid. If ten people were killed, I think that we should at least hear him out. I owe him that much, at least." The last part was more to himself than anything, but the others agreed. Klein was a good man, despite his eccentrics, especially concerning girls.

"All right," Asuna nodded. "Let's get geared up, just in case."

"I'm coming, too!" Yui grinned. "I've got my own unique skill, and Auntie Sachi was able to set me at level ninety-six, so I'm just as strong as Mommy!"

Kirito shot Sachi a look that read 'Great, now how are we supposed to keep her from coming along?' Before either of them could trade words, Yui spoke again. "Daddy, I know what I'm getting myself into. I know that every twenty-five floors, the boss is extra-hard. But I have strength here, same as you and Mommy. I want to protect you, just like I know you want to protect me."

"But if something were to happen to you…" Kirito started.

"My avatar would be deleted, but my core program would be saved as a game object in your inventory," Yui said. "That's how my settings are now. So even if I do die here, it won't be forever. I know that you'd find a way to bring me back once you get back to the real world." Her eyes shone as she smiled encouragingly at Kirito.

He groaned aloud and finally said, "All right, you can come, but you'd better do as your mommy and I tell you, got it?"

"Aye aye!" she giggled with a fake salute.

 _Still_ … Mataras thought as he moved to equip himself. _Ten players from the recon team? Those wouldn't have been your average players, even by guild standards… I don't like how this might go._

* * *

"They were cut off?!" Asuna gasped. "How is that even possible?" They were all assembled at Klein's apartment on floor fifty-five after having said their farewells to Nishida on floor twenty-two. Yui and Sachi were preparing lunch in the other room, but they could hear wat was going on, Mataras was sure.

"I dunno man," Klein said with a slow shake of his head. "All I know is that my guy said when the others went through, the door suddenly slammed shut on 'em. Locked tight, too. And they didn't even get to see the boss. Couldn't have been ten minutes before the door opened, and all of 'em were gone. We checked the Wall of History and everything. Those guys were toast. We're guessin' that they couldn't use their crystals in there."

"Based on the last boss we fought, and what you're telling us on this one, it's probably a safe bet to say that all boss rooms are gonna be anti-crystal zones from now on," Kirito muttered with a scowl.

"Yeah," Klein nodded heavily. "The KOB is organizing a joint raid made up of all the guilds' best players. Heathcliff said it's up to you guys of course, but I'd take it as a favor if you'd come along."

"We'll be there," Mataras said firmly.

"Yeah," Kirito said as he extended a fist to Klein. "You can count on us."

"Thanks guys," Klein grinned with relief. "I knew I could, but hey, it never hurts to be polite and ask."

* * *

Later, Klein was off to gather his guild mates, leaving the Cats to mill about his apartment. It was then that Kirito dared speak what was on his mind. "Hey, Asuna?" he said tentatively. "I want to make a request… But I don't want you getting mad at me."

"What is it?" she asked with a small smile.

"Instead of fighting the boss…" he began. "Could you and Yui please stay here?"

The smile vanished. "Why would you ask me that?" she asked quietly.

"Because… I'm scared," he admitted with a trembling voice. "I don't want anything to happen to you." Asuna approached him rapidly, and Mataras backed away from where he had been standing. In the past he might have gotten involved, but this was something that they needed to work through as husband and wife.

"So you want to go somewhere dangerous while I stay here, safe?" she asked. When Kirito didn't answer, she got in face and said, "Do you know what would happen if you didn't come back? Huh?" When he still said nothing, she all but shouted, "I'd kill myself!" Mataras' eyes widened, and he looked over at Yui. The little girl looked like she was getting ready to cry.

He made a silent jerking motion at her with his head as he switched his gaze to Sachi, who scooped her up and took her outside, whispering soothing words to the child. When he looked back at the couple, he could see Kirito's face was dumbstruck.

"I'd never forgive myself!" Asuna continued. "How could I live with the fact that I let you go somewhere dangerous without me?"

"I'm sorry," Kirito said as he clenched his eyes shut. "I guess I'm just losing my nerve… But…" He suddenly clenched Asuna's hands in his own and said, "I don't care if we never get out of this game! I just want to go back to our little house in the woods, and live as a family with you and Yui!"

"It would be nice if we could do that…" Asuna said with a pained smile. "But have you ever thought about what's happening out there? In the real world?"

"What do you mean?" Kirito asked.

Here at last, Mataras stepped in. "Remember how a few days after the announcement happened, most people went offline for a few hours? They- or rather, we- were probably being transferred to hospitals to be kept alive on machines. Which means that it doesn't matter at this point if we _want_ to clear the game or not…" His voice trailed off.

"Everybody here is on a time limit," Kirito finished in horror. "And when it runs out…"

Asuna collapsed into his arms and started sobbing. "I want… I want us… to be together forever…" she cried. "To go on real dates… and to really get married… That's why… We have… to keep fighting…"

"And we will," Kirito said, the steel back in his voice and obsidian eyes. "We'll fight until the end."

"And I'll be right there with you," Mataras swore. "And when we meet up in the real world, I'll be sure to make it known that nobody can come between the Moonlit Black Cats. You hear that?" he managed to grin. "Nobody is tearing my family apart again."

* * *

The gathering took place in the town square just outside the coliseum where the Cats had won Asuna's freedom by defeating the Knights of the Blood-Oath. Asuna was dressed up in the new uniform that Mataras had gotten made for her, and she had to agree, it complimented Kirito's outfit quite well. Yui was dressed in her white dress and armed with a white sword similar to the elucidator called the Dawn Rising. Several players raised eyebrows at the appearance of such a young player, but nobody could muster the courage ask them about it with the massive red dragon in their midst. There they met up with Agil, who greeted them warmly enough.

"Hello, Agil," Mataras said from atop his dragon, which would be joining them for the raid. Any dirty looks that they might have gotten from Asuna's old guild were instantly squelched by the sight of massive reptile. "I'm surprised to see you signed up for this raid."

"Hey man, I closed down shop to make a fortune on today's drops! You're lookin' at a player that's as philanthropic as they come," Agil chuckled. "But what in the hell'd ya feed Litrosh? And who's that li'l kid with Asuna and Kirito?"

"She's our newest member, and wouldn't you like to know," Mataras sniggered as he leaped to the ground. "And seeing as you're so philanthropic, I guess you won't mind when we take you off the drop list."

"Whoa now, let's not be too hasty!" Agil said in a panic. Before Mataras could utter another retort, Heathcliff and the rest of the KOB elite stepped through the town's portal. They regarded the Cats with the briefest of glances, but otherwise they ignored them.

Heathcliff stepped up to the edge of the gathering and held up a massive blue crystal with red bubbles within it. "Corridor, open," he commanded. A shimmering gate similar to a town gate appeared, and he stepped inside. The knights were the first to follow, with the Cats being the last to enter.

As soon as they stepped into the dungeon, Mataras could feel a chill seep into his bones, even though the cavern was reasonably warm. "Feel that?" he heard Asuna say. "There's a bad vibe in here." The others muttered their agreements, and even Litrosh let out a low rumble in his throat.

Mataras left the others to talk to Klein and Agil so that he could approach Heathcliff alone. When he stood before the tall paladin, the man's gray eyes locked onto his without a word. "Commander Heathcliff," Mataras began. "I understand that you are going to be in the forward position?"

"That's the plan," Heathcliff nodded.

"Then if it's alright with you, I'd like it if my guild could assist in the forward position," Mataras asked respectfully. "I understand that we are not the same guild, but we still need to work together."

"And your dragon?" Heathcliff asked. "Who will control it while you and the others lead the charge alongside me and my men?"

"I have that covered, don't worry," Mataras smirked. "If you don't want my help, fine, but from what we've been told, we we're going to need both raw power and smarts to survive, let alone win this round."

"Very well," Heathcliff nodded. "As you wish."

"Thank you sir," Mataras said with a respectful bow. "I hope you understand that I don't have a death wish. I just want everyone here to make it out alive." And with that, he took his leave, a small smile on his lips. _If this boss is as tough as they say, we may see just how exactly Heathcliff has managed to remain invincible this whole time._

* * *

After a few more minutes of equipment and inventory check-ups, Heathcliff called them all to attention. "The Knights and Black Cats will be at the front to attack the boss to try and knock it off balance while the rest of you try to figure out its attacks and patterns," he said. "I won't lie: this battle will be hard. But I believe that we can and will win this- for our day of liberation!" The resounding cry that echoed in the tunnels after that was deafening when Litrosh added his roar to the mix.

Hearing the speech and seeing how it affected the men around him, Mataras was reminded of Diabel, all that time ago on the first boss raid. _That was where it all began for our family_ , he thought. _And I swear on my life, this will not be the end of it._

"Try not to die, guys," Kirito said to Klein and Agil.

"Same to you, buddy," Klein smirked.

"Like I said, I'm gonna make a fortune on today's drop," Agil chuckled. "Ain't no way I'm missing out on that."

Heathcliff shoved the doors open and dashed inside, his sword and shield at the ready. The Cats were right beside him and his men, with the exception of Litrosh. And Yui, who would be riding on top of him. She would use her Divine Eye on the boss to point out its weaknesses while Litrosh would blast it with fire.

They had all been expecting the boss to simply drop down on them as soon as they entered the room, but all that greeted them was the sight of a massive, empty cavern. They were atop a single flat platform. Off in the distance, similar platforms could be seen. Mataras and the others whirled around as the door shut and then disappeared. _Uh-oh._

That's when the sounds began. The sound of something _scuttling_ across stone, mixed with an angry, ominous hissing that made the back of Mataras' scalp prickle. Looking around, he muttered, "Where are you…?"

" _Up above_!" Yui screamed, right before Litrosh let out a massive roar that shook the entire chamber. In response, the boss let out a massive, dry hissing sound that was just as terrifying as its appearance. The thing looked like a gigantic centipede made entirely of bones. A skull with four jaw pieces and bright red eyes made up the face, and two massive blades that resembled straightened scythes jutted out from just underneath its neck, serving as arms. The tail it possessed was adorned with similar spikes. And the name read…

"Skull Reaper," Klein gasped. The very name resembled death, much like the Fatal Scythe boss had. Then it dropped down, still giving off that dry hiss.

"Get away from it!" Kirito roared as most of the players moved to get away. Unfortunately, some were paralyzed by fear, and failed to act in time. As soon as the boss landed, the room shook and Litrosh took flight.

The shockwave seemed to light up the room with ominous red and orange colors, even as it threw a number of players off their feet. Two of these poor souls were within the reach of the bone-scythes, and a single swipe sent them flying at the Cats. Asuna and Sachi moved to catch them, but the men shattered before they even hit the floor, causing them to gape widely at the monster before them.

"One hit…?" Kirito gasped. Mataras shared the sentiment- it just seemed so impossible for a single hit, even from a boss, to kill such high-level players.

"Man, we are so dead!" Agil said.

Then Mataras' warrior blood began to stir as he saw Heathcliff move to stand up to the monster. "Not today, we're not," he growled. Drawing Guilty Thorn with a fast motion, he charged at the boss, the others close behind. _I said we'd fight, and blast fate, we will fight!_ He shouted to himself.

One of the scythes swung at him, but he leaped forward in summersault to land on the flat of the blade, even as Kirito locked it in place with his dual swords down below. Mataras ran up the arm and stabbed the monster in the eye, causing it to his/scream angrily and jerk backwards, giving Kirito a respite. As Mataras flipped back to rejoin them, his leader gasped, "I can't do that again… It's too damn heavy."

"Then I'll block it with you," Asuna said. "We just have to time our swings together."

"Hear that?!" Mataras called. "Kirito and Asuna will deal with the scythes along with Heathcliff! The rest of you, attack it as hard and often as you can!"

"Okay!" Klein shouted back, his guild springing into action.

"Hold still baby!" Agil roared as he charged alongside two Dragon Alliance members.

Mataras looked up and nodded at Yui, who in turn ordered Litrosh to attack. The red dragon and unleashed a massive fireball that hit the boss on the head and drained a fair amount of health. "Keep that up!" he shouted to the girl. "Just don't hit us by mistake!"

"I know!" she shouted back. "If you can, hit it in the eye again! That and its underbelly are the weak spots!"

"Anything else that the Divine Eye can pick up?!" Sachi called as she moved alongside Mataras to leap onto its back.

"Yes!" Yui called. "If you manage to block its scythes without taking any damage, it receives one-point-two percent more damage for ten seconds!"

 _That's not very encouraging, but we'll take what we can get,_ Mataras thought as he dug his sword into the creature's massive spine and held on for dear life as it changed directions. "Stop moving, blast you!" he roared. As soon as he could move again, he ran at the thing's head, ready to take another shot at the eyes, with Sachi right behind him.

Up above, Litrosh let out another roar and prepared to unleash his fire as soon as he had the chance again.

* * *

 **Mataras: Since I know you all want to get on to the next chapter, we'll keep this one brief.**

 **Kirito: We just want to say a quick thanks to those of you that have come brand-new to this story and stuck through with it until now.**

 **Asuna: We hope you've enjoyed the Red Swordsman edition of the Aincrad arc, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on the upcoming rendition of the ALFheim arc.**

 **Sachi: Now go on and read the our final chapter in Sword Art Online!**


	16. At the End

**A/N: This is it, folks! This is where Aincrad comes crashing down- although it it will certainly be in a way that many people didn't expect! Please be sure to leave a review when you are done reading, because I love hearing from you all- everyone is so much fun to write for and to talk with! Without further ado, let's finish this thing!  
**

* * *

At the End

The fight was unlike anything the Moonlit Black Cats had ever seen in all of their history on the front lines. The boss changed its patterns every time they drained its health bars, of which there were five, forcing Yui to re-examine the patterns and weaknesses it might have. And it did so again when it got into the yellow zone.

It seemed like an eternity before Mataras looked up and saw that its final health bar was down in the red zone. Heathcliff saw it too, and shouted, "Everyone! Rush it, now!" The players seemed to catch on, for they all abandoned the careful patterns that they had constructed over the last hour or so, and immediately unleashed their most powerful attacks. The monster seemed to be overwhelmed and exhausted, for it began to sag to the ground, its stomach almost touching the stone beneath it.

But the fighters of Aincrad didn't let up for even half a second. They each kept slicing, hacking, bashing, and crushing until at last, the monster let out one final dry screech, and exploded into millions of blue and green polygons.

As one, almost every one of the fighters sank to the ground, exhausted. Some were sitting, others were lying flat on the ground. Among those sitting were the Moonlit Black Cats. Yui dismounted Litrosh as soon as he landed next to Mataras and moved to embrace her parents. The Red Swordsman gave his familiar a tired smile and said, "Well done, Litrosh. Well fought."

"How many did we lose?" Sachi's voice could be heard echoing across the now-gray chamber. For a moment, nobody answered.

Then Kirito said, "Nine. Nine of us didn't make it."

"Holy crap…" Klein gasped. "We haven't lost that many since floor twenty-five when the army got stomped."

"And we still got twenty-five more floors to go…" Agil could be heard saying. "How we even gonna make it that far?" No one had an answer for him.

Mataras looked over at the only man still standing. There he was, strong and proud, still in the green zone. Mataras' eyes narrowed at the health bar. _After that disaster, he's still like a god amongst his mortal subjects-_ Mataras' eyes widened. _His subjects… That dry, mocking voice of his…_ He felt his blood freeze.

Nudging Kirito with his elbow to get his attention. "What…?" The other boy said quietly?

Mataras turned to face his brother in arms and mouthed, ' _The arena. His block.'_

"What of it?" the Black Swordsman asked softly with a frown.

Mataras jerked his head at Heathcliff, who was still unmoving, looking up at the ceiling in contemplation. Then he mouthed, _'Too fast. He was being protected.'_ Kirito's eyebrows down as he recalled the moment and played it back again his mind. Then he looked over at Heathcliff, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Protected by what…?" He murmured. Then he had it, and he looked over at his partner. Moving as one, Mataras dashed around to the left of Heathcliff while Kirito went right for him full-on.

"Heathcliff!" Mataras roared as he leaped at the man with his sword in hand. The paladin moved to block- only to leave his back exposed to Kirito's straight thrust that took him in the back. Or rather, it would have, if not for a purple hexagon that stopped his blow. Following that, which confirmed the two boys' suspicions was another hexagon that appeared above the man's head that read 'Immortal Object'.

"Kirito!" Asuna cried. "What are you two-?!" Her voice caught in her throat as she saw the hexagon. "Wha…? Commander Heathcliff…? What's going on?!"

"We have the answer to that," Kirito said while Mataras kept his sword at the ready, the sheer fury of the Red Swordsman's gaze threatening to burn holes in Heathcliff's head. "The reason his health never drops into the red zone? It's because he's been protected this whole time. By the system itself."

"By the system…?" Sachi repeated. "How is that possible? Is that part of the Divine Blade?"

"Hah!" Mataras spat. "There is _nothing_ 'divine' about this man whatsoever."

"He's right," Kirito nodded as he looked up at the ceiling, much like Heathcliff had just a few moments ago. "One thing bothered Mataras and I these past two years. 'Where is he?' we wondered. Where is he hiding as he controls everything in this world? The answer was staring in the face the whole time." He levelled his gaze to look at the man in the red armor, who had yet to speak or move. "We were working ourselves up so hard that we forgot a basic psychological fact- one so simple, any child would know. There's nothing more boring than watching someone else play a game of any kind."

Mataras smiled wolfishly as he finished the build-up with the words, "And why not get in on the greatest game ever created? Isn't that right, Akihiko Kayaba?" The chamber went deadly quiet following those words.

The only reaction in the room was Heathcliff's frown. "For my curiosity's sake, would mind telling me how you came to that conclusion?"

"The first clue we really noticed was in the final moments of our duel," Kirito replied evenly. "That last move was way too fast. Most people couldn't tell because of all the dust in the air, or their AGI stats weren't high enough to keep up with us. And I almost even passed it off as a glitch. But Mataras noticed it too, which meant that there wasn't any lag on my part. You did that yourself."

"Hmm, yes, that was a painful failure for me," Heathcliff nodded. "You were so strong and fast that I had no choice but to engage my assist mod."

"And that's not all," Mataras spat, interrupting the man. "Although I should have recognized it sooner, your voice remains unchanged. I can't prove that point, but unfortunately for you, I happen to have a photographic memory should an event or person hold my interest. You really should have modified your character's voice, not just your face."

Heathcliff closed his eyes and smiled in amusement. "You have a good point," he said. "And your observance is even higher than I had anticipated anybody could have. I had planned on remaining silent until the boss had been defeated on floor ninety-five. But alas…" his smile grew slightly wider and smugger as he said, "Yes. I am Akihiko Kayaba. And now that my identity has been revealed, it should come as no surprise that I am the final boss that will await you all on the top floor."

The troops assembled reacted with shock and horror. Asuna swooned slightly and had to lean on Kirito. Mataras had to keep Sachi from falling over entirely. "So the most powerful player in the entire game turns heel to become the final boss?" Kirito scoffed. "Seems kinda cliché."

"Actually, I kind of like that angle," Heathcliff/Kayaba chuckled.

"You bastard…" Raphael, the new Vice Commander, was getting to his feet slowly, trembling with anger. "Our hopes… Our loyalty… All for nothing… How dare you? _How dare you_?!" He leaped at his commander, sword coming up to strike at his head.

Heathcliff sighed in annoyance and entered a command into his menu. Raphael suddenly dropped like a sack of potatoes, paralyzed. A few more commands later, and the same thing had happened to everyone but Mataras and Kirito. Sachi's Pure Heart skill couldn't even prevent her from being paralyzed. Even Litrosh, a familiar, was taken by the poisonous effects with a loud snarl of frustration.

"Mommy…" Yui said as she tried in vain to reach Asuna. Kirito gently laid them close to one another and then stood up to face the enemy.

"So what now?" Kirito asked as Mataras stood up from helping Sachi. "You gonna kill everyone here to cover it up?"

"Oh god, no," Kayaba said with a strong shake of his head. "That wouldn't be very sporting of me. No, I have a better idea. I think I'll head up to the Ruby Palace and wait for you all there. It's a shame that I have to leave you all so soon- I've spent a lot of time building up the Knights and several other strong players. Oh, well. You're all quite strong, so I'm sure I'll see you all up there- eventually."

He smiled as the Red and Black Swordsmen. "To be honest, I had expected that one of you two would be the ones to face me. Dual-Wielding is what I awarded Kirito after seeing him in action because of his incredible reflexes. Dragon Blood I allowed the system to give out at random, but I honestly never expected someone to be able to use it that well until I saw in action during the Laughing Coffin Raid. As a matter of fact…" He jammed his shield into the ground where it stuck fast.

"I feel that the two of you deserve a reward for guessing my identity, so… I'm going to give you a chance- and a choice." Kayaba smiled theatrically as even Mataras was taken aback.

"A chance at what?" Kirito asked.

"A chance for one of you to fight me right here, right now," Kayaba replied simply. "Defeat me, and you will have cleared the game- thereby freeing everyone trapped in the world of Aincrad. Oh… And my immortality will be deactivated, of course." And he awaited their answer without another word.

"Deal," Mataras said shortly. Kayaba turned to face the young man, who promptly sheathed his blade on his back.

"You will fight me?" the man asked with a cocked head.

"Only if Kirito doesn't," Mataras said, surprising everyone there, save for one. "He has the best chance of defeating you, because he has the greatest drive out of anyone in this game. He has the most reasons to win. He is the true master of the Law of the Sword."

Kayaba turned to face the boy, who was glaring at him with fierce resolve. "Very well," Kayaba said. Then he paralyzed Mataras, who sat down before it took effect.

"No, Kirito, please don't," Asuna begged. "We need to regroup. We can take him later."

"No," he said, his voice low and hard. "I can't run from this. Not if it means a chance at freeing everyone."

Seeing that his mind was made up, Asuna gave in, "You better not die, you hear me?"

"I won't," he said with a smile. "I love you, Asuna. You too, Yui." Mataras didn't need to see the boy's face to know that he was lying. And could he blame him? Kayaba was the most powerful person in the game, second to none. Kirito would need luck to beat him- there was no guarantee of him winning.

Kirito stood before the man that had held everyone trapped for two long years, but then he turned around as Klein and Agil both shouted protests. "Thanks for all of your support, Agil," he said with a grin. When the bald man gasped in surprise, Kirito's grin widened and he added, "Yeah, I knew. You act like you're all about the money, but I know. You spent every spare bit of col that you could on helping the intermediate players level up.

"And Klein…" Kirito's voice went very soft. "I regret bailing on you that day. I think about it all the time."

"No, don't you apologize!" Klein shouted angrily, pounding his fist against the stone, the only thing he could do with the paralysis effect. "I won't accept it! I'm not accepting an apology until we've met up on the other side, and you're buying me dinner, damn it!" He began to sob as Kirito forced himself to smile and salute with his sword.

"It's a deal," he said. Then his gaze fell on Mataras and Sachi, and he couldn't keep the tears from forming, though he kept his voice strong. "You guys were a great family. You made it worthwhile to live through the two years in here. You helped me find Asuna and our daughter."

"Fight hard, Brother," Mataras said, straining against the paralysis so that he could look his best friend in the eye. "I expect to see you again soon."

"Same here," Sachi said with a smile. "We believe in you, Kirito."

Then the Black Swordsman turned to fully face his enemy. "I have one last request to make," he said in a flat voice.

"And what is that?" Kayaba asked patiently.

"I'm not going down easy," Kirito said. "But if I do die, I want you to fix it so that Asuna can't kill herself."

No, Kirito, that's not fair!" Asuna screamed. "You can't do that! _Kirito_!" Both men ignored her pleas.

"Very well," Kayaba nodded. "You deserve that much. You have my word that she will not be able to harm herself in any manner." Kirito nodded and drew his swords as Kayaba manipulated his menu once more. Above his head appeared a message on a red hexagon. It read, 'Changed to Mortal Object'. Then the demon king drew his sword and hefted his shield into position.

Both men stared at each other for a long, tense moment. Then, just as Mataras thought he would, Kirito was the first one to act, throwing himself at Kayaba's massive shield with brutal force. As soon as the fierce battle began, Mataras jerked his head over to look at Yui, who had her eyes glued to the fight.

"Yui," he whispered. The girl looked over at him with fear in her eyes. "I have a plan."

* * *

Kirito threw everything that he had at Kayaba, but to no avail. Suddenly, he realized why. _He designed the dual-wielding system_ , he thought grimly. _Which means that he knows every one of its attacks. The only thing he can't know is how high the skill has been developed._ So his only hope was to unleash his full power and hope for the best at this point. If he didn't get past the shield or break it, he was going to tire out. And that would be the end of him.

 _Alright, then,_ he thought as his swords both glowed bright blue. _Let's go for it: Eclipse!_ And he unleashed most powerful attack he had: a twenty-five hit combo that was only unlocked once the skill had been maximized.

Then he saw something that crushed his hopes completely: Kayaba was smiling. _He knew_ , he thought with dread that quickly melted into dull acceptance. _Of course he did._ As he landed the last attack on the massive shield, his dark repulser broke. And since he would receive a five-second penalty freeze effect from having his attack blocked, that meant-

"Game over, Kirito," Kayaba said with a wry smirk. His sword glowed red and slashed down at Kirito. The Black Swordsman almost shut his eyes against the end, but then there was motion. A flash of dark red with a hint of black.

Mataras stepped in between Kirito and the deadly blow, and the sword slashed into his body, trailing a red line that ended with the blade being jammed in his chest, much to the surprise of everyone present, including Kayaba.

"How…?" he murmured as Mataras' life drained away.

The Red Swordsman smirked and turned his neck to look painfully at his killer. "Come on… Kayaba," he grunted. "Surely… you knew… You're not the only one… with administrator privileges… She… used them… to counter… your poison." Casting a glance at his mighty dragon, which was shedding tears, he said, "Sorry… Litrosh."

"What are-" Kayaba's gaze snapped over to lock on the little girl next to Asuna, who had an admin's window open. "Yui," he said, seeming truly shocked for the first time since SAO had begun.

Kirito saw all of this happening around him, but he could only see Mataras, with Kayaba's sword through his chest. "You…" he couldn't speak.

"I told you… I'd… protect you both… Brother." He thrust something into Kirito's left hand and then smiled, peace settling on his face. Then he shattered into thousands of shards. Kirito could only look down at his hand, dumbstruck. There, in his glove, was his brother's sword.

"Now this _is_ a surprise," Kayaba chuckled. "How on earth did you manage to- urk!" He looked down to see a silver blade protruding from his chest. Holding it in his back was Sachi, tears running down her now-fierce face.

"For my brother," she said quietly.

Kirito suddenly snapped, and a wordless bellow erupted from his lungs as he ran Kayaba through with Guilty Thorn, eyes colored gold. Far from seeming surprised or enraged at this point, Kayaba simply smiled as he accepted his fate. The second sword ran him through and depleted the last of his health.

Sachi and Kirito stayed motionless as Kayaba shattered into thousands of pieces. Instead of disappearing, though, they floated up and then through the ceiling, to the skies beyond. And they all knew that finally, at long last, it was over. A voice began to echo throughout Aincrad, saying, "As of today, November seventh, fourteen fifty-five, Aincrad standard time, the game has been cleared. I repeat, the game has been cleared."

* * *

Mataras opened his eyes to find himself standing upright. However, he was disoriented for a moment when he looked down and found himself standing on a clear platform, with the clouds lit gold by the sunset below him. "Hmm…" he mused. Looking at himself, he was dressed in his battle gear, minus his sword and scabbard.

"Am I still in Sword Art Online?" he murmured aloud. Swiping his fingers, he was somewhat surprised when a menu appeared. But instead of the options that he was used to, only a panel that said, 'Initiating Final Phase: 54%' appeared to him. While he was staring at it, the counter ticked up to fifty-five percent. Shrugging to himself, he let the menu close.

He had a feeling that once it hit one hundred, he would die. It was likely that the timer represented how long it would be before everyone was allowed to log out of Sword Art Online. "Well, Victoria," he said quietly. "I guess it won't be long now. I'll be joining you in a bit." He smiled at the thought. "I can't wait to see what kind of adventures we'll have together. And I can't wait to hear all about the one's you've had without me." And then he was silent for a moment, letting his eyes wander the skies.

Suddenly he caught sight of something odd. It was a massive steel castle, floating in the sky below him. He recognized it as Aincrad, but it was crumbling from the bottom up. "And so ends the reign of Akihiko Kayaba," he said quietly. He watched as Kirito and Asuna's house was destroyed, and a part of him felt sad about it, but he forced himself to smile at the happy memories that he had of that place, and the family that had once lived in it.

"A stunning view, isn't it?" said a familiar voice. Mataras looked over sharply to see Akihiko Kayaba standing in a white lab coat, looking exactly as he had in the real world. His appearance was very different from Heathcliff's save for two things. His voice was just as dry and modulated as ever, and his gray eyes only reflected a dull interest in the things around him, despite his words.

"So is Aincrad done for?" Mataras asked simply.

"Yes," Kayaba nodded once. "Back at Argus headquarters, five stories beneath the street, the SAO mainframe is deleting everything in its memory banks, bit by bit."

"And the players?" Mataras demanded a little more sharply.

"You don't need to worry about them," Kayaba replied evenly. "All six thousand, one-hundred-and-forty-seven surviving players were logged out about five minutes after I was defeated."

Mataras nodded in acceptance. He knew that there was no need to ask about the fallen. Sociopathic as he might be, Kayaba was not a liar. Every word he'd made, he had stayed true to, and every promise he'd made, he had kept. Which meant that as surely as he had honored the terms of his duel with Kirito, those that had died up until now would never rise again.

"I just have one last question," Mataras said.

"Name it."

"Why did you do this?" The tone he used was not angry, accusing, or sad. It was a question of curiosity, plain and simple.

Kayaba finally turned to face the young man as he smiled softly and said, "That's a good question… To be honest, it's been so long, I had almost forgotten." He took a deep breath and said, "I wanted to see a new world, Mataras. One with a different set of rules than earth's laws and restrictions. I wanted to see what people would make of my new world, my steel castle that floated in the sky. And you know what? I saw something that surpassed even my expectations. Thank you for helping show me something beyond even what I had anticipated."

"And I suppose I should thank you, in a way," Mataras said quietly. When Kayaba raised his eyebrows, Mataras added, "I found peace here, in this world. Had I not been trapped here and put in the position I was, I never would have met the Moonlit Black Cats. I never would have had a family again. So thank you, Kayaba." And they shook hands as a mark of respect for one another.

"Well then," Kayaba said with a smile. "I should be going. But before I forget- congratulations on helping beat the game, Mataras. I hope I'll see you again someday."

"I doubt that will happen," Mataras chuckled to himself as Kayaba vanished in puff of white vapor. Looking back at Aincrad, he was intrigued to see that about half of it still remained.

"Mataras?" another familiar voice reached his ears, and he froze.

 _No way…_ He thought as he forced himself to turn around. To see his family, all standing there. Kirito, Asuna, Yui, and Sachi. All smiling. All with tears in their eyes. He smiled at the sight. "Hello, my friends," he said, still smiling. Then they all rushed him, forcing him into a bear hug.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into Sachi's head as she squeezed him tightly.

"You should be," she said as she pulled back slightly.

"You made everybody cry!" Yui said accusingly, and Mataras had to laugh, despite his own tears. He picked the little girl up and hugged her close.

"Sorry, but I had to save your idiot father," he chuckled as Kirito's jaw dropped. "I think he's a little more important than I am. He needs to take care of your mother and you when he leaves. And your Aunt has a family waiting for her back there. I only have family waiting for me on the other side of eternity."

Sachi hugged him again as she cried, "Mataras, you _are_ my family."

"I know," he said softly. "But the course of life has run out for me, I'm afraid. And before we part ways, I'd like to make a request."

"Name it," Sachi sniffed. "Anything you want."

"Tell me you real names," he said with grin as he set Yui down. "I would like to know who you really are before we say good-bye. So I can say it properly."

They all smiled at him in return and wiped their tears. Kirito was the first to speak, saying, "My name… It's Kazuto Kirigaya. I just turned sixteen last month."

Asuna turned to her husband with some surprise and a hint of a blush. "So you _are_ younger than me," she giggled. Turning to Mataras, she said, "My name is Asuna Yuuki. And I'm seventeen now."

Last of all was Sachi, since they all knew Yui's name. "My name is Sayuri, Big Brother," she said softly. "Sayuri Motodato. And I… I love you so much!" She hugged him tightly again, and he returned the gesture.

"I love you, too," he murmured. "My dearest sister…"

Looking up at Kirito and Asuna, he said, "Kazuto Kirigaya. Asuna Kirigaya." They both flushed as he substituted her maiden name for his surname. "Live long and happy lives, do you hear me? Raise Yui well, so she can be happy with you. Promise me, before we part ways."

"We promise," they said in unison.

"Good," he nodded approvingly. "And you, Yui Kirigaya? Be a good girl for your parents, understand? And keep on smiling."

"I will," she nodded fiercely. "I promise, Uncle." Then she managed a smile, despite her tears. "Now it's you turn. What's your name?"

"My name?" he smiled back. "My name was once Michael… I'm eighteen, and I abandoned my last name years ago."

"Michael…"Sachi repeated softly. "I like that name. It suits you."

They laughed together as the family gathered in a warm, tight embrace for what would be the last time in that world. As they did, the last of Aincrad was destroyed. Everything began to glow white, and they all shut their eyes together. Their souls touched briefly, and merged before they were cast about, scattered.

 _Good-bye_ , they all heard the Red Swordsman say in their minds. _I will miss you all. But know that I will love you no matter how far apart we may be… My family._ Then…Silence.

* * *

 **Kirito: Whoa, did Mataras just die?**

 **Asuna: Seems like it to me...**

 **Sachi: Well, it looked like you two died in the original... Maybe he's still alive out there?**

 **Kirtio: Wait... Do you think he'll be trapped in the next VRMMO?**

 **Asuna: Maybe... If only we could turn the page and find out...**

 **Sachi: Umm... We can. The new chapter is already up.**

 **Kirito: Then why are we all still here?! Let's go!**


	17. Revival

**A/N: Okay, time for the next round of fum to begin! Sword Art Online is over for many players, but there are those that still wear its shackles. Time to finally see who will fight to break those shackles! I'm so hyped to start off the New Year with a new epic!**

 **Also, if you have not seen it already, there is a link on my profile that can take you to an anime-style intro video that I made just for this story, in particular, this arc of the story, which I am calling the Magic of Aincrad arc. Enjoy, and welcome back to all of those that went through the Toa of Aincrad with me! I am eager to hear from you once again!**

 **(Just as a side note, the review pages on this site seem to be buffering, so don't worry if it looks like it didn't go through- I'll still see them)**

* * *

Revival

Michael's eyes flicked open, his eyes expecting something entirely different than what he was greeted with. The white that he saw was not pure and unsoiled, but generated by one of those ugly white lights that hurts to look at. He shut his eyes and tried to gather more information about his surroundings with his other senses.

He could easily smell disinfectant. He heard the hum of machines, and the beeping of vital monitors. The air he breathed felt somehow thicker than the virtual oxygen he had been pretending to use for sustenance for the past two years. And most of all, he could feel the soft blanket spread out over his body, and the way that it tugged on the tiny hairs covering his body.

Then he knew. In the world of Aincrad, the only hair people had- unless they chose to be bald like Agil- was on their head. That, coupled with everything else he was experiencing meant that he was no longer in a virtual world. But the world he had expected to wake up in had no need for a hospital.

His initial reaction was white-hot fury. He had thought that his journey was finished, and he was going to go be with Victoria forever. And now he was faced with the reality of earth, a place that he had abandoned as soon as he was smote by Kayaba. He tore off his NerveGear with a sudden burst of strength, intending to smash it against the wall, but when he held it in both hands, a torrent of memories flooded his mind.

Days spent in the fields, leveling and getting stronger with Kirito. Afternoons bickering with Asuna. Picnics with their daughter, Yui. And the warm evenings spent with his sister, Sachi. And in that instant, his face had relaxed and his eyes softened as he held the helmet-like device.

"I always thought of you as my enemy," he said quietly. "But you were a good jailer. Thank you." Then the hospital staff had come in with dozens of questions that he did not feel like answering. They had told him to hold his own questions until they had done their survey. Which led him to where he was now.

* * *

"Honey, you're really going to have to be more understanding about this," the nurse said. "We have a lot of people making inquiries about other players right now, so our servers are overloaded and our staff is overworked. Please, just-"

"I don't need this," the black-haired boy snarled. He ripped out his I.V. and swung his legs out from the bed as he used his hand to put pressure on the small wound. "Either help me, or get out of my way."

The nurse called for assistance, which led to Michael brawling with a staff member in an attempt to leave his room. When they finally had him restrained, he refused to answer of their questions concerning his whereabouts when the game ended, and what was happening as the world of Aincrad collapsed. He didn't even speak a word to them, just glaring at them with pure anger in his eyes.

This had been going on for some time when a single man dressed immaculately stepped into the room and said, "Nurse, I'm going to have to ask you to leave us be for a bit." When she protested, he showed her some form of identification that instantly silenced her and got her and her co-workers to leave.

"I heard you did quite a number on that guy," the man said as he sat beside the bed where Michael was restrained. "After two years in bed, most people would barely have the strength to stand, let alone fight a full-grown man. That's impressive."

"Kazuto Kirigaya. Asuna Yuuki. Sayuri Motodato. Find those people for me, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about Sword Art Online," Michael stated. "Until then, I have no intention of saying anything to anyone."

"I can see that," the man said dryly. "Well, if that's the case, give me a moment." He pulled out his cell phone and began speaking a rapid stream of Japanese with someone on the other line. Michael noted that his English had been perfect, which impressed him.

When he was done speaking on the phone, he said, "My people will have your friends' locations and conditions in a few moments. In the meantime, may we at least get down to introductions? I can start if it makes you feel more comfortable."

When Michael simply raised an eyebrow, the man shrugged and said, "Very well. My name is Seijiro Kikuoka, and I am with the internal affairs regarding the SAO incident."

Michael's other eyebrow shot up before he finally said, "My name is Michael. I'm an orphan without a surname."

Seijiro nodded and looked like he was about to say something else, but his phone began to vibrate, indicating a caller. "Excuse me," he said as he answered it. His brow bent downward as he spoke in Japanese to his associate on the other end, sending a chill down Michael's spine.

"What's happened?" he demanded, wriggling against his restraints. The other man made a calming gesture while listening to his co-worker. After another few moments of talking, Seijiro put his phone down with an uncomfortable expression on his face.

"Michael, I will get to the point," he said. "There is both good and bad news. The good news is, none of your friends are among the deceased. The bad news is, only Kirigaya is awake. Both Motodato and Yuuki are still comatose, along with three hundred-odd other players."

"What?!" was all that Michael could say. "Why haven't they woken up yet?"

"I don't know," Seijiro replied uncomfortably. "We're running as many tests as we feel are safe at the moment to answer that question. If you want, I can get you released, and you can go visit them."

"Please, sir," Michael nodded. "Those people are the closest thing I have to family."

"I would still like my questions answered on the way," Seijiro reminded him.

"If you can get me out of here, then I'll believe you are who you say you are," Michael replied. "Then you can ask your questions."

* * *

The ride to Tokyo took less than an hour, but in that time, Michael did his best to answer all the questions that Kikuoka presented him with. He succeeded to a degree, but there were things about the world of Aincrad that even he didn't know, which frustrated both parties. So it was more than a relief when they reached the hospital containing Kazuto and Sayuri.

They went to see Kazuto first, upon Michael's request. Kikuoka wheel chaired the boy despite his insistence that he could make it on his own if he needed to. They had to make their way through a number of people, many of them wishing to see their family members awake for the first time in nearly two years. As he saw people laughing, crying, and embracing, Michael couldn't help but feel a deep twinge of pain in his heart.

There had been no loving family waiting to greet him upon his awakening, no crying mother to embrace him for the first time in years, no siblings waiting to congratulate him on his return, no father to tell him well done. He forced the thoughts out of his mind as soon as they reached Kazuto's room and the door was opened.

"Do they know?" he asked before they started to go in.

"No, I didn't call ahead if that's what you mean," Kikuoka said with a slight grin. "I figured that I'd leave it as a surprise for your friends." And then he stepped back outside to give him some privacy for a bit.

"Thank you," Michael sighed as he wheeled himself in. Then he straightened himself as much as he could before he rounded the corner to see Kazuto for the first time in real life. And he was met with a pleasant sight indeed.

A painfully thin boy with black hair that fell past his gaunt face and shoulders was stroking the head of a younger girl, who was crying into his bed unceasingly. An older woman was crying with a bright smile on her face, eyes filled with joy at the sight of her son having finally made the journey home to his family. A broken family had been reunited.

None of them seemed to notice him, so he cleared his throat noisily and said, "Good past noon." He was used to speaking in English and being translated by SAO's speech converter, but he still remembered his Japanese well enough. The family turned with some surprise to look at the newcomer, another sickly boy with jet black hair that fell past his shoulders. His eyes, too, were dark like Kazuto's, but in a different way. Kazuto Kirigaya's eyes were filled with solemn determination. This newcomer had the eyes of a wary hunter that was prepared at all times to strike back at those that would hurt him. Yet in those same eyes, a bright concern shone out, same as Kazuto's.

The boy in the bed was the next one to speak, when it finally hit him. "Wait…" he said as he narrowed his eyes. "I know those eyes…" His eyes widened.

"Big Brother?" the girl said as she wiped her eyes and moved closer to the bedridden teenager. "Who is this guy?"

" _My_ brother," Kazuto said with a slight grin. "Right, Michael?" The young man in the wheelchair smiled back, impressed that Kazuto had remembered his real name, and to use it in the real world.

"I am," he nodded. "It's good to see you alive and well, Kazuto."

"Honey, who is this boy?" Kazuto's aunt asked aside to her nephew.

"Like I said, he's my brother," Kazuto said as he waved Michael over. The boy moved himself with difficulty to the opposite side of the bed that Kazuto's relatives were on. "This is the guy that saved my life over a thousand times… I thought he was dead."

"You wish," Michael joked weakly. "But I'm fairly certain Kayaba let me live."

"I'm just glad you're okay," Kazuto grinned. "Now I can introduce you to everyone."

"Mind if I guess at whom is who?" Michael grinned back. When Kazuto nodded and leaned back to rest, his best friend looked at the older woman and said, "You must be Mrs. Midori Kirigaya, Kazuto's mother. It's honor to meet you." He gave as much of a bow as he could from his seated position while Midori returned the gesture.

"The pleasure is mine," she said with a smile. "Is it true that you saved my son's life?"

"Perhaps not as often as he saved mine," Michael smiled weakly, causing Kazuto to laugh.

"Yeah right," he chuckled. "You saved me twice as often as I did you."

"Perhaps, but that save you made on floor sixty-one counted for quite a bit," Michael argued.

"Yeah, but what about how when you stepped in on that one quest back on floor forty-two?" Kazuto argued.

"Um, Brother?" the younger girl said timidly while Midori looked on in surprise at the casual bantering between her son and his friend. He was certainly different than he had been two years ago, she thought. The old Kazuto would have avoided conflict, no matter how minor.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" she asked as she looked up at Michael.

"No need," Michael grinned. "I know who you are, Suguha Kirigaya. Kazuto talked about you a lot while we were in Sword Art Online. I must say, it's nice to finally meet you."

"Big Brother talked about me?" Suguha said with surprise.

" _All_ the time," Michael said while pretending to roll his eyes. "Sometimes I couldn't get him to shut up about either you or Asuna."

"I didn't talk about Asuna that much!" Kazuto protested, his pale face retaining some color now, the equivalent of a blush in their deteriorated conditions. "I mean, just about how good her sword work was…"

"If we weren't talking about boss raids, we were talking about Asuna or real life," Michael countered. "It was that way for nearly a year, and you know it."

"Uh… Who's Asuna?" Suguha asked, confused.

"Er…" Both of the boys hesitated and shared a look before Michael said, "She was the fourth member of our guild. She also happened to be Kazuto's girlfriend." Of the two of them, Mataras had been known to have the better poker face- not that he'd needed it very often in Sword Art Online.

"Wait, Big Brother has a girlfriend?!" Suguha gasped. Behind her, Midori's eyes widened even further.

"Yes," the two boys said together. They both felt that this was better than explaining to the already-emotional women that Kazuto had promised to marry Asuna in the real world. It would simply cause unnecessary complications for them.

"Since when?" Suguha asked excitedly. The old Kazuto never would have had the guts to ask out a girl, much less keep a steady girlfriend. Like her mother, she thought that her brother had changed a great deal during his imprisonment.

"Since a few weeks ago…" Kazuto said, frowning as a thought occurred to him. Michael got a sinking feeling as the boy turned to him and said, "Where is Asuna?"

"Still in a coma," Michael replied honestly. After everything that they had been through together, he wasn't going to hide the truth from his brother. "Sayuri is the same."

At his words, Kazuto's eyes widened, and he would have paled if he were healthy. "Why…?" he could only whisper.

"I don't know yet," Michael said as he leaned forward and grasped Kazuto's forearm. "But I swear to you, on our brotherhood, they won't stay that way forever. As soon as we figure out who or what is responsible, nothing will stop the Black Cats from reuniting."

Kazuto's eyes hardened, despite his weakened state as he nodded once and relaxed visibly. "You're right," he said. "I assume somebody told you how to find me and the girls?"

"Aye, and he's the one that informed me of their condition," Michael nodded. "I'm sure that he'll be in momentarily to ask you some questions, since you also helped to defeat Sword Art Online. Perhaps he has an idea of what happened by now."

"Um, you guys said that there were four of you?" Suguha asked politely. "Was this Sayuri person another member of your guild?"

"Aye," Michael nodded sadly as he remembered the last time he had seen Sachi, holding her in his arms as the world around them dissolved, and he relinquished his grip on them all. "How I wish I would have held on tighter…" he said softly, in a voice so low that only Kazuto could hear him.

"Sorry, did you say something?" Suguha asked.

"Nothing important, Sugu," Kazuto said gently. "He just misses his sister."

"Oh, so Sayuri was your sister?" Midori asked interestedly.

"In a manner of speaking," Michael nodded firmly. "Though we are not related by blood, I consider her to be my family just as much as Kazuto."

"What about your real family?" Suguha asked before her brother could stop her. Kazuto froze in place as he looked at his brother uneasily.

Michael, for his part, took a deep breath to keep his anger and hurt at bay before replying shortly, "My family is dead. Ten years have passed since my parents departed. And two since the death of Victoria."

"You mean… You don't have a home?" Midori asked with motherly concern.

"The orphanage likely has what little possessions I can call my own, but I have exceeded their age limit now," Michael nodded. "I am homeless, yes."

"Mom, we can't just leave him on his own," Suguha said with great concern.

"Could he stay with us, do you think?" Kazuto asked hopefully. "At least, until he can figure out a separate living situation?"

"Now hold on," Michael said with a frown. "I can't put your mother in that kind of position. Your generosity is commendable, Kirigayas, but you-"

"Oh be quiet, we have plenty of room," Midori interrupted.

"Wait, what?" Michael gaped. "You're serious? But you just met me!"

"You saved my son's life, many times if what he says is true," Midori countered with a warm smile. "I think that we owe you at least a little bit for that."

Michael eyed them warily before he said, "Your generosity is greatly appreciated, but… Please, be certain of this. I do not wish to be a financial burden, or resented for any reason later."

"Let us worry about that," Midori said as she moved around to place her hands on Michael's shoulders, careful not to hurt his fragile body. "For now, you and Kazuto focus on getting better, alright?"

 _Is this what it's like to have a mother worry after you?_ Michael wondered. It had been so long that he had honestly forgotten most of the time he had spent with his parents. He nodded heavily in resignation and said, "I am too weak to argue with generosity. I accept your gracious offer. Thank you, Mrs. Kirigaya."

* * *

Two months passed quickly for the two boys. All of their spare time went into three things whenever they weren't at rehabilitation to recover from their two years of imprisonment. Despite the doctor's warnings not to push themselves too hard, the two of them took to practicing martial arts in private, with Michael acting as instructor for Kazuto, showing him forms that had been burned into his muscle's memory. The second thing they devoted most of their time to was visiting Sayuri and Asuna in their hospitals and talking to Kikuoka about any possible updates on their condition. Third was simply talking to Suguha about anything but their adventures in Aincrad, mostly asking her about how her school and kendo were coming along.

Kazuto had explained to Michael that he wanted to do his best to act like the brother that Suguha had been missing even before Sword Art Online began. The other boy had only been too happy to sit and talk with the two siblings, or even sometimes just listening while he read a book in silence.

Part of him had to admit that he was jealous that Kazuto had his little sister back while his remained comatose, but he ignored these feelings. It wasn't Kazuto's fault that some three hundred players remained trapped, he knew. Still, something was out of place, he knew. That one question continued to irritate him until that one day in mid-January.

Christmas had come and gone, but still no sign of an awakening from the girls. It was on January nineteenth that Suguha found herself staring into the half-frozen pond, alone with her thoughts. That was the day that things would begin to change for the Kirigaya's.

 _Michael…_ she thought quietly. _He hardly ever talks about himself. He always wants to talk about Kazuto, Asuna, and Sayuri, but never him. And I don't really know how to ask Brother about him… It would just seem weird, right?_

Shaking her head and standing up, she began to swing her _shinai_ in a regular pattern, loosening her cold muscles and causing her breath to heave out, creating small puffs of steam in the morning air. She was about five minutes into this when she heard a crashing sound come from inside the dojo, followed by a yelp of pain.

Alarmed, she ran over to see what was happening, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw next. Michael had Kazuto in a headlock, and was pinning him on the ground with a bored expression, almost as though he were sitting through a math test. "Come on," he grumbled. "Two months of doing this nonstop and you still can't sweep me even once?"

"Hey," Kazuto grunted. "It's not my fault… You've got like ten years of this on me! Now let me go, I give!" Michael rolled his eyes and let the boy in black go before springing lightly to his feet.

"What is going on in here?" Suguha finally said in shock.

"Sparring match," Kazuto said with a grin as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Michael said we should have a fight to practice, so I'm fighting him."

"Uh, excuse me?" Michael snorted with a grin. " _You're_ fighting? I don't think so. At best, I'm fighting you."

"Ten year advantage doesn't exactly make it fair," Kazuto sighed heavily.

"What did I tell you when we started this?" Michael shot back. "If you ever have to use these techniques, you want it to be as unfair a fight as possible- in your favor."

"You two shouldn't be going so rough," Suguha cut in. "I mean, you're still under rehabilitation. You could hurt yourselves."

"Please," Michael grinned. "Compared to Sword Art Online, this is a cakewalk. And those rehabilitation programs were designed with those soft nerds in mind, not fighters like me." He raised his red shirt up to reveal the beginnings of a six-pack, much to Suguha's surprise. She had thought that he would still be rather thin, but he was actually built pretty well…

Her face grew hot as Michael put his shirt back down and said, "So what are you doing up at this hour, Suguha? If you were practicing for kendo, it must have been fairly intense, if your face is anything to go by. You're all red and sweating."

"Uh… Yeah, I was practicing!" she said, seizing on the lifeline he had unwittingly thrown her. "Gotta keep my skills sharp, after all."

"I must admit…" Michael said as he eyed her from head to toe, and the equipment she was wearing. "I am curious to see how good you are with a blade."

"W-What?" she stammered, his gaze making her even more uncomfortable for reasons she didn't completely get.

"Does this dojo have a spare sword?" Michael asked Kazuto, who was busy drinking from a water bottle.

"Yeah," the raven-haired boy said as he pointed at a bin that held several bokken and shinai of varying lengths. "Why?"

"Time to revive the law of the sword," Michael said as his dark eyes lit up and he began rummaging through the swords.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Kazuto said as he understood what Michael was going to do. "You can't do that to my kid sister! You might hurt her!"

"Wait, Michael wants to fight me?" Suguha scoffed. "I dunno if you guys remember, but I placed in the top four of the national championships for mid-high while you were asleep."

"Ah, but we weren't asleep," Michael grinned as he finally found one that he liked. "We were very much alive. And in Aincrad, your skill with a blade didn't just determine your social ranking, or even a score in a tournament. It determined the quality of which you would live your life. And we lived among the finest of warriors."

"But it was just a game," Suguha said, though the words sounded hollow, even to her.

"No, it was the life that we chose to live," Michael said as he took his Red Swordsman stance for practice. "And I'm interested to see how much blood you and Kazuto share. Do you share the warrior's drive to win, I wonder?"

"Everyone wants to win," Suguha said.

"But a warrior will find a way to make their wants their realities," Michael said with a mischievous grin as he straightened. "Now- shall we fight? Or am I getting out this lightweight for nothing?"

"Brother, are you sure you can't talk him out of this?" Suguha asked as she took up her kendo position. To her chagrin, Kazuto was now the one rummaging through the shinai and bokken, muttering to himself.

However, he did say loud enough for her to hear, "I call fighting the winner."

"What a dummy," she sighed before fixing her gaze on Michael- and bursting into laughter. "Okay, what are you doing?" she asked. "It's bad enough that you won't wear armor, but what kind of stance is that?"

He was standing with his sword above his head with one hand at a diagonal angle, feet wide apart in a reverse stance, one that she had seen karate students employ, but never in a kendo match. His unoccupied hand was held loosely by his side. He was breaking so many rules of a starting stance that he would have been thrown out of a match with the entire stadium laughing at him.

"My stance," he said in response to her question. "Armor simply gets in the way, as you'll soon see."

"Okay…" she said while rolling her eyes. As she settled into her own stance, she thought, _Weird stance or not, he's pretty calm._ She gathered herself and prepared to leap at him.

But he beat her to it. Letting out a roar, he lunged at her with blinding speed, crossing the dojo mat in three bounds to bring his wooden blade down for a full-powered blow that would have smashed into her shoulder.

She used every muscle in her body to shift into a counter-stroke that stopped the blow dead. However, she was shocked at the power behind the blow, especially since he had used only a single hand. Even with both hands blocking, and her solid stance, the hit shook her entire body.

And he was just warming up. Using the rebound momentum the counterstrike gave him, he spun in a full circle to lay another blow on the opposite side, faster than she would have believed otherwise. She barely blocked the speedy blow, but doing so gave her a nice opening of his back. Shoving his sword away, she went to slam his backside, sure of her victory.

Which of course, was her mistake. Michael's every sense was heightened to a razor-sharp degree, and he sensed the blow coming before it was even on its way, short as it was. He ducked underneath it and rolled away to a safe distance, springing back up to his feet in a ready stance once more. He shot her a feral grin, which only served to add to her surprise.

Then he was back in action again, swinging his sword faster than her eye could follow, jarring her body with the power and speed of his blows. She was blocking him strike for strike, but it was harder than she could remember it being for some time. Her kendo teacher had always appraised her on her speed in combat, so his reflexes were astounding to her.

It wasn't too long before Michael finally managed to work a feint in order to get Suguha to shift her guard in order for him to land a blow directly on her head. Or rather, he could have. At the last second, with precision so close that she could feel the whisper of the wooden blade, he stopped the blow from landing.

He locked eyes with her until they both acknowledged one another to let the other know that the match was over. They stepped back, bowed, and began to set aside their gear.

"That was a good fight, Sugu," Kazuto grinned as he ruffled his sister's hair. "I haven't seen too many people that can keep up with Michael like that."

"I admit, I was surprised," the girl said as she shook her head to cool her face. "You should think about taking up kendo, Michael." She looked over at the boy in the red shirt as she spoke, who had just replaced his bokken.

"Perhaps," he nodded. "But in this world, I'm more of a hand-to-hand combat-type. The days of swords may well be over for me…" He appeared thoughtful, and Suguha wondered at the serious expression on his face before he shook his head and said, "In any case, perhaps you and I can have a sparring match from time to time, Suguha?"

Strangely, Suguha felt her face growing warm at the thought of dueling the black-haired boy again, but she managed to keep her blush under control long enough to say, "That sounds like a lot of fun, Michael. I'd like that."

"Hey, what about me?" Kazuto said as he looked at Michael. "When do I get a shot?"

"Maybe after our visits," Michael suggested. Kazuto considered this for a moment, then nodded.

"All right," he agreed with a grin. "Sounds like a plan."

"So you guys are gonna visit your friends again?" Suguha asked.

"That's the plan, aye," Michael nodded. "We should be home in time to help out with dinner, if that's okay?"

"No, take your time," Suguha smiled. "I'll try to have something ready when you guys get home, all right?"

"Then you have to let me do the dishes," Michael replied.

"Oh for crying out loud," Kazuto groaned. "You don't have to do anything to pay rent, so stop acting like it!"

"What?" Michael said, somewhat indignant. "Even if that's the case, why shouldn't I make an effort to help out around the house?" He and Kazuto started arguing back and forth as they headed back into the house, leaving Suguha alone in the gym.

Looking out after Kazuto and his friend, she thought, _He's reserved most of the time, but when he was in that fight, he seemed surer of himself… Maybe the way to get him to talk more is by fighting in here…?_ Shaking her head, she focused on removing her armor in order to put it back in its rightful place.

* * *

The two brothers said nothing as they rode their bikes to the hospital where Sayuri was being held. One, because his brain was going at a mile a minute, trying to figure out why and who would keep three hundred SAO survivors comatose even after the game had been beaten. The other, because he was praying for the safety his sisters, and for their awakening to be near.

When they reached the hospital, they were quick to chain their bikes to the usual rack before heading inside and out of the cold. It had been a bitter cold with little snow this year, Michael noted sourly. He hated the cold with a fiery passion unless there was a generous amount of snow to go with it.

Then again, he hated a lot of things,

They greeted the desk attendants and grabbed their passes to visit Sayuri before heading up the elevator. As they stood in silence, Michael suddenly said, "So, what do you think is going on?"

"Huh?" Kazuto said, surprised.

"Sayuri and Asuna," Michael replied simply. "Who do you think has them under?"

"Well…" Kazuto said uncertainly. To be honest, he was surprised that Michael was bringing the subject up, as it was not something he had opened for discussion before. "I know a lot of people think it's Kayaba," he finally said. "But that just doesn't fit him. Not in my opinion, anyways."

"I'm inclined to agree," Michael nodded as the doors to the elevator opened and they stepped out. "The question I've been asking myself lately, 'Who would stand to gain from three hundred people being comatose?"

"Same here," Kazuto admitted, once again surprised. "How long have you been thinking about this, Michael? You never seemed to want to talk about it before."

"Every day I think about it," Michael snorted. "Not a day goes by where it doesn't haunt me. Not a day goes by when I think, 'If anyone should still be trapped in slumber, it ought to be me'. After all, I was the last one to die- or rather, I should have been."

"Oh," Kazuto said, now understanding why Michael would have been reluctant to talk about the problem at hand. Obviously, he felt guilty while his sisters were still wasting away, he was enjoying his reclaimed freedom. "Sorry, I didn't think of it like that."

"It's no fault of yours," Michael sighed as he approached Sayuri's room. "But believe it or not, not all of my quiet time consists of prayers. I can think for myself."

"I, of all people, know you can think for yourself," Kazuto chuckled as he opened the door. "And I think that your devotion to your faith is pretty rare, not to mention a good thing. It's part of what makes you who you are."

"Aye, that it is," Michael sighed as they entered and gazed upon their sleeping sister. She was pale and gaunt, a result of being trapped in a hospital bed for more than two years. Her hair was still as dark as they remembered it being in Aincrad, but now it reached past her slim shoulders, almost down to her painfully thin waist. "But even I can't help but feel a tremor of doubt every now and again… Ach, look at me, Sachi. I've been reduced to a rambling fool."

"You need to wake up and keep Michael in line," Kazuto said as he grasped her fragile shoulder with the utmost care. "He's getting to be a little too much to handle for me."

"I'm right here, you know," Michael grumbled.

"Now he's gone back to stating the obvious," Kazuto said with a big smile as he leaned over Sayuri to look at her sleeping face. "Wake up soon, Sachi."

Michael looked at the person he cared for most in the world and felt his heart break all over again. _Who am I to live while your life wastes away?_ He thought somberly. _It should be me on that bed, waiting for my last breath to come._ He knelt by her side, held her hand and murmured quietly in prayer, hoping that God would soon wake her, or at least show him how to help her in a more practical manner than a daily hospital visit.

* * *

The opportunity came much sooner and in a different manner than anyone could have expected. Once they were done visiting Sayuri, they rode their bikes to see the final member of the Moonlit Black Cats, and the person Kazuto loved most. Asuna Yuuki was being cared for in one the nation's top hospitals, courtesy of her father's enormous fortune.

To visit her had required Kikuoka to approach Asuna's father personally to explain why Kazuto and Michael should be allowed to visit his daughter. It had taken little time once the meeting had taken place, as Mr. Yuuki was an understanding man, who was glad to see that Asuna had made such loyal friends. He met them in person to give them private passes that would allow them to visit Asuna at any time during visiting hours, or be there immediately in the event that she would wake up.

Unfortunately, today was not the day that their family member was to awaken. Michael and Kazuto stopped in front of the door, and Michael noticed Kazuto hesitating. He smiled in understanding and said, "I'll wait out here for a little while. Let me know when you're ready."

"Thanks, Michael," Kazuto nodded. "Let me know if anyone shows up to visit, too."

"Of course," Michael said as Kazuto swiped his security pass and stepped inside, the door hissing closed behind him. He stood next to the door and put up the hood on his jacket, still as a statue, with his eyes closed. He began to meditate, emptying his thoughts and allowing the sounds of the hospital to cease in their meaning. Every machine that beeped, every door that opened and closed, every nurse that passed him by, talking quietly to their coworker, he ignored.

He knew not how long it was before a new element entered the picture, and his ears pricked slightly at it. There were two sets of footsteps that did not belong to the routine patterns of his surroundings, though he strove to maintain the appearance of ignorance.

The footsteps drew closer and closer, both accompanied by the voices of men. One sounded middle-aged, the other like that of a young man. Michael had to struggle not to frown as his ears received the second voice. It sounded almost too… perfect.

The footsteps stopped a few feet from him, and the first voice said, "Excuse me, young man, but- Oh, Michael? Is that you?"

"Good afternoon, sir," Michael said as he opened his eyes and put his hood back. He blinked once as he allowed all of his senses to retain their full functions and bowed slightly to the older gentleman. "I apologize for the confusion."

"No need to apologize, young man," Shouzou Yuuki said with a smile as he shook hands with his visitor. "How have your rehabilitations been coming along?"

"Quite nicely, thank you," Michael nodded. "I'm nearly back up to full strength. But if I may be so bold as to ask who this man is?" He gave a pointed look at Shouzou's younger companion, a bespectacled man with brown hair and an air of command about him. Had he been adorned with a circlet and some older-styled clothing, Michael might have thought that he looked like a groomed prince.

He immediately distrusted him, eyeing him with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah yes, this is Sugou Nuboyuki," Asuna's father said as he moved aside to let them shake hands. Michael and Sugou did so, the former squeezing just hard enough to attract Sugou's interest, and causing his eyes to widen slightly.

"Not up to full strength yet, huh?" he said with a slight laugh. "You seem to have quite a handshake, young man."

"I took martial arts for a number of years," Michael replied with a shrug. "I suppose my prime health is a little more advanced than what some might consider to be average."

"Oh?" Shouzou said, apparently oblivious to the subtle threats Michael was hinting at. "Did you ever compete?"

"No, sir," Michael said as he returned his attention to the older man. "I never had the chance. My parents died before I started, and the orphanage couldn't sponsor me to compete, nor was I making enough money to enter myself, though I was able to earn enough to pay for my lessons."

"Ah, yes, your parents," Shouzou said, a little shamefaced. "My apologies, Michael. I did not mean to cause you grief."

"It's all right, sir," Michael shrugged. "I barely remember them, anyway. I take no offense whatsoever."

"That is all well and good, but aren't we here to do more than simply chat in the hallway, sir?" Sugou said, a trifle impatiently.

"Why, are you in a hurry?" Michael said with a slight twinkle in his eyes. A dangerous spark, just waiting to ignite.

"Well, perhaps I should explain," Sugou said, now restraining his temper a little more obviously. "I work closely with Mr. Yuuki in RCT Progress. We both have quite a bit to do today, so we weren't planning on making this a long trip. Now, may we go inside, and perhaps continue this conversation in there? Or would his highness like to be served dinner out here as well?"

"Now, Nuboyuki, there's no need for unpleasantness," Shouzou chided his coworker. "Michael is one of Asuna's closest friends, and he saved her life many times. You owe him your respect for that, understand?" His tone was gentle, but the words wounded Sugou's pride, Michael saw.

"Yes sir," Sugou said, regaining his façade of indifference. "My apologies, Michael. May we go inside where we can all see Asuna and complete our visit?"

"Fine by me," Michael said with a slight grin. "But Mr. Yuuki, might I have a moment inside? Kazuto was visiting her already, and I think he was getting some things off of his chest. Do you mind if I clear the coast first?"

Sugou drew a breath to put Michael in his place, but Shouzou- either unaware of the continuing tension, or trying to avoid an explosion- said, "Of course. But as Sugou mentioned, we are on a tight schedule, so please try to bear that in mind."

"I will, sir," Michael nodded. Then he went inside, closing the door behind him.

Kazuto stood up with a frown, noticing the suddenness of Michael's entrance and the dark expression on his face. "What's going on?" he asked.

"We have visitors," Michael replied softly as he moved closer to his brother so that they would not be overheard on the off chance that someone was trying to eavesdrop. "Mr. Yuuki brought along one of his coworkers. He seems too polished, too perfect. I don't like him."

"Really?" Kazuto smirked as he stroked his wife's hand lovingly. "That's your reason for not liking him?"

"He doesn't seem to like the idea of close male friends for Asuna," Michael elaborated. This seemed to attract Kazuto's attention, so Michael added, "I think he may be a suitor."

"What?!" Kazuto hissed sharply. "He can't court someone in a coma!"

"Worry about it later," Michael said while keeping his voice lowered. "I can't keep them waiting forever."

"All right, but we need to be careful," Kazuto warned. "I don't wanna make Shouzou mad."

"Believe me, neither do I," Michael muttered as he moved to open the door. "Apologies, Mister Yuuki," he said to the older man. "Kazuto is ready now." The two men stepped inside and moved to greet Kazuto, who treated them both with great politeness. However, knowing that Michael distrusted the younger one set him on edge, and allowed him to see that his brother was right- this Sugou character _did_ seem too perfect.

Shouzou looked down at his beloved daughter and sighed heavily. "Every day I come here, I hope to her eyes open, waiting for her family," he said sadly. "And every time, it's the same story… Nothing from her."

"Asuna is alive in there, fighting to get out," Michael said, his dark eyes fixed on his sister. "I know that much about her. And I too look forward to the day your family is reunited, Mr. Yuuki."

"Thank you, Michael," Shouzou said as he dashed his eyes. "I hope that you're right."

"Sir, speaking of family, I was thinking that we could make official as soon as possible," Sugou said after a quiet pause. Michael and Kazuto's eyes snapped up to the young man before exchanging a worried look.

"But Sugou, are you certain?" The senior Yuuki said. "You're young, and you have your whole life ahead of you."

"I know…" Sugou said as he smiled his perfect smile, which made Michael glower and Kazuto shudder. "But I would like to prepare for the worse, should it come to pass… I want to see her in her dress, and be the first one she sees if she wakes."

"I understand," Shouzou nodded with a sigh. "We'll set the date for January 26th, then."

"Thank you, sir," Sugou replied with a slight bow.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave," Shouzou said, addressing all three of the young men. "I have much to do, and never enough time to do it." Then he was gone, and Sugou was finally free to smile triumphantly.

"Before you say one word, you leech, know this," Michael said as he moved to interpose himself between Sugou and his sleeping sister. "Asuna has one week to awaken. If she does not, I will kill you myself to prevent this arrangement of yours."

Sugou's eyes widened, but he quickly regained his composure. "That's hardly a way to treat the future husband of your good friend," he said with a snake-like smile. "It's poor taste."

"Mataras doesn't care about many people's taste," Kazuto said, hurt and anger reflected in his eyes. "And I wanna know how you think that you can get away with marrying someone in a coma. That's your goal, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is," Sugou nodded smugly. "And you're right, we can't be legally married without her express consent, an impossible condition to meet at present. Even if she were awake, I doubt she would say yes- she's never really liked me. See, if the Yuuki family were to adopt me, it would be as though we _were_ married.

"I've been very close with the Yuuki's for a long time, you see. I work under Mister Yuuki himself, as part of RCT Progress- the ones that are now taking care of the SAO survivors since Argus folded. So now I ask, is it wrong for me to ask a little compensation for all my hard work?"

" _Compensation_?" Kazuto gasped, his opinion of Sugou falling further than he would have thought possible.

"It won't happen," Michael growled. "Mark the words of the Red Swordsman- I am not afraid of suffering at the hands of the law to protect my loved ones."

"Then mark the words of a very rich man, foreigner," Sugou hissed. " _Attempt_ to get in my way, and I will make you disappear like _that_!" He snapped his fingers for emphasis, but Michael didn't blink. He simply smiled his wolfish smile before making his reply.

"May our blades dance, then," Michael said as he made a mocking bow. "I am interested to see if the poison-coated blade of the thief can best that of the blood-stained murderer's."

Sugou didn't know how to respond to such a threat, so he started to walk out and said, "Stay away from the Yuuki's from now on. Don't worry, though- I'll send you a video of the wedding ceremony- maybe even what comes after." And he left with a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

Michael snarled and started to rush out, intent on beating Sugou into a bloody pulp, but a strong pair of hands held him back, causing him to whirl on his brother and shout, "What are you doing?!"

"This isn't Aincrad!" Kazuto shouted back. "You can't just kill people and get away with it! There are consequences if you do!"

"I don't care!" Michael growled. "I'm not letting that filth touch Asuna, and neither should you! We have to do something to save her!"

"How?!" Kazuto asked, tears brimming in his eyes. "We're not swordsmen anymore, Michael. We're not heroes in this world. How can we save my wife…?" He started to cry, and would have collapsed had Michael not held him up.

"Pull it together, Kazuto," Mataras growled, though his voice had lost much of its edge. "What would Asuna say if she saw this? Eh? …Because I can tell you that she'd tell us that she still believes in you. So make that belief worth it, you hear me? If you won't let me take out Sugou, then help me find another way to save her from that nightmare."

"But…" Kazuto sniffed miserably. "I don't… have any ideas…"

"Then you have until the twenty-fifth to figure it out," Michael said firmly. "Because if we don't find another way by then, I'll do whatever I must to protect my family. Deal?" He held Kazuto at arm's length and extended his hand.

Kazuto looked at his brother, into his dark, deadly eyes, and saw that he was serious. "All right," he finally said. "We'll find out a way to bring her home, then. Sachi, too."

"That would mean all the world to me," Michael said as they grasped forearms, sealing the pact. "Let's go home. We have much to consider, and not enough time to ponder it."

* * *

It was late at night when Suguha knocked on Kazuto's room, asking if he wanted the shower room. "Big Brother?" she asked when he didn't reply. Creaking the door open slowly, she stepped into the dark room.

The first thing she noticed was the lowered temperature. "Man, it's cold in here," she said as she shivered and moved to turn on the heater. "You're gonna catch a- huh?" She stopped walking and talking as she noticed a dark shape leaned against the wall. Peering closer, she could see that Michael was asleep, sitting against the wall on the floor.

Looking up and over, she saw that Kazuto, too had fallen asleep sitting up on his bed. Sighing heavily to herself, she stood up, walked around Michael, and turned on the heater. She then proceeded to put her brother under his covers, fortunately without waking him up.

However, when she got a blanket for Michael, it was a different story. As soon as she draped the blanket over him, his eyes shot open and he fixed his gaze on her, freezing the girl in place with uncertainty. The boy blinked once, looked over at Kazuto, then fixed his eyes back on Suguha.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"You're welcome," she said as she hesitantly sat beside the boy. "Why are you guys sleeping like this? Were you brainstorming on something again?"

"Aye," Michael nodded tiredly. "Asuna… We have a week to figure out how to awaken her… Or else she will be taken away from Kazuto forever. And that is a torment I cannot bear to watch." Suguha regarded him with shock.

"What's happened to Asuna?" she asked.

"Some snake wants to take her as his own," Michael replied bluntly. "If we can wake her up somehow, she can call everything off. If not…" He feel silent, but Suguha felt what could only be described as murderous anger emanating from the boy beside her.

Her first instinct was to retreat away from the oppressive feeling, but instead she put her arm on Michael's shoulder, swallowed nervously, and said softly, "I'm sure you'll both figure it out. Big Brother is smart, and you're devoted. At the very least, you can't give up, not when someone you love is in danger."

Michael was silent for several moments, but Suguha could feel the tension and rage slowly dissipate, though it did not vanish completely. "Thank you, Suguha," Michael finally said, lowering his head. "You have spoken like one of those that lived in Aincrad… You are right, no one should give in to despair when a loved one is in harm's way…" He looked as though he wanted to say more, but then sleep claimed him, and he slumped forward.

Suguha went to put the blanket back on him, but she noticed that the floor was still rather cool, unlike Kazuto's bed, which was causing Michael to still tremble slightly with cold. She shifted the blanket without a second thought and scooted closer to the black-haired boy, immediately making the space warmer.

It was only until she was settled in that she realized that she was under a blanket. With a guy. _Oh crap, what was I thinking?!_ She thought in a panic, within an ace of bolting up from the floor and dashing out of the room. But before she could, Michael's head shifted to rest on top of her own head, as he was fairly taller than she was.

Her face blazed so hot, it was a wonder it didn't wake up Michael. But she couldn't well move now! She might wake him up. Resigning herself to her fate, she tried not to squirm at the thought of spending the night on the floor with a boy she was crushing on.

Sleep actually came easier than she thought it would, and when it did, it was a relief.

* * *

Michael woke up with his back feeling stiff and rear end feeling numb. However, he was warmer than he had expected, even if Suguha had given him a blanket. He went to stretch, but then he noticed that he was not alone under the blanket. His eyes widened in surprise as he shifted slightly to see Suguha sound asleep on his shoulder- and even more startling, that he was resting on her head!

Fortunately, Suguha seemed to be just as heavy a sleeper as her cousin, so he was able to get up and lay her down gently enough that she did not awake. Then he dashed out of the room and darted into the bathroom, where he splashed his face mercilessly with cold water. He didn't know how long he had been doing this when Kazuto burst into the bathroom, startling his best friend badly.

"By the stars of Aincrad, you scared ten years off of me!" Michael gasped as Kazuto stepped up to him with a bright light in his eyes. "Kazuto? What's going on?"

"You gotta see this," the boy said with wide eyes. "We might just have an answer to your prayers." Intrigued, Michael followed Kazuto back to his room, hope beginning to light up like a gentle fire in his heart.

* * *

 **Mataras: Really? You thought that I had kicked the bucket?!**

 **Kirito: It was a possibility...**

 **Mataras: This story is called the Red Swordsman, for crying out loud!**

 **Kirito: Yeah, well... Okay, that's a good point. But instead of arguing, why don't we tell our readers a little bit about what's to come?**

 **Mataras: Fine, fine. This chapter is the last one that I am releasing for today, and readers can expect updates once a week, or every other week. Next time, we'll actually get to see how Fairy Tail gets incorporated into this story.**

 **Kirito: Got a fire in your belly yet?**

 **Mataras: Oh yes, and soon it'll be raging to get out. Until next time, I bid our readers a Happy New Year.**

 **Kirito: Happy 2016, everyone!**


	18. A Bright World, a Dark Curse

**A/N: Hehehe... Everybody that read the Toa of Aincrad knows what's about to happen- then again, maybe I've thrown in a new surprise...? either way, let's get ready to see Mataras and Kirito back in action!**

 **P.S. A note to my good readers, GuestandCompany... Unfortunately, I cannot PM you unless you make an account on this site. :P Sorry about that. I might consider putting up an account on DevianArt, but I just don't have the time with everything else going on in my life. But I thank you for your support of my work, and should you choose to make an account on FFN, please don't hesitate to message me, as I will respond ASAP.**

* * *

A Bright World, a Dark Curse

The door to the Dicey Café set of a jingling bell as two teenage boys walked in. Both of them were pale with black hair and dark eyes, though one was at least two years older than the other and wearing dark red instead of black like his younger comrades. But perhaps what they shared in common the most was the look on their faces- grim and determined.

Looking up from his position at the bar, Andrew understood why some people mistook the two for brothers. "Y'all are early," he said with a friendly smile as the door closed. "Wasn't expectin' you until noon."

"We had nothing better to do," Kazuto grinned as he sat, losing some of the hard light in his eyes as he greeted his old friend from Aincrad. "Looks like you scared off all your customers."

"Hah hah, very funny," Andrew grumbled. "You should the place in the evening- at night, it's off the hook in here!"

"Good for you," Michael muttered. "Now tell us what the deal is with those photos you sent Kazuto."

"Man, for a guy with a lotta fire, you can be pretty cold," Andrew said disapprovingly. "I don't even get a 'hello' from ya?"

"My apologies, but there has been a new development," Michael said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Long story short, if we don't get Asuna out of her coma within a week, there are going to be some dire consequences."

"Much as I think he could do with some more manners towards his friends…." Kazuto sighed as he turned to face Andrew. "He's right in this case. So what's the deal with the pictures you sent us?"

"Right, well that's gonna take some time to explain…" Andrew said grimly, suddenly all business. Reaching below the counter, he slapped a trio of pictures down flat on the countertop when he came back up. "You recognize these?"

On the countertop were the same images that Kazuto had received from Andrew that same morning. The first one was the only one of good quality, and it showed a massive, ugly tower on an island in the middle of the ocean. It looked almost as though someone had tried to make a tower out of a junkyard.

The second picture was blurry, but it was enough to tell that one of the 'branches' sticking out from the side of the tower was capped at the end by a prison of some kind. And the third picture, the blurriest of them, showed what was in it. Although pixelated, it was clear that there were two people within the cage, one with flowing chestnut hair, and the other with short midnight-blue hair.

"Asuna…" Kazuto murmured.

"Sachi," Michael said as he looked hard at the photo, which Kazuto picked up with such gentleness it almost seemed like he was afraid to break it. Looking at Andrew, Michael said, "Where were these taken?"

"That's the hard part to explain," Andrew said as he cleared his throat. He reached back down before sliding Michael the case for what was clearly a video game. The title of the box read 'Inner Magic Online'. The cover showed what looked like a blue cat alongside a white one flying across the sky on shining wings, while below them were a boy and a girl. The boy had a determined look on his face as he held a glowing orb of purple fire in his hand while the girl next to him was smiling confidently and holding a one-handed silver sword, dressed in similarly colored armor.

"A VRMMO?" Kazuto asked as he looked away from the picture to see what Andrew was showing them. "The pictures were taken in there?"

"Yup," Andrew nodded as he flipped the case over to reveal a map with many landmarks of what the boys could assume was the land that the game featured in. The title of the map was 'Fiore', a country of some kind, Michael and Kazuto assumed. Andrew guided their gazes off to the east coast where there was a beach, and in the ocean itself, an island marked 'The Tower of Heaven'. "That's where the pictures were taken."

"What is that place?" Michael asked with a bent brow. While Andrew was pointing at the tower on the map, he and Kazuto were focusing on a symbol at the bottom left of the box that said 'RCT Progress'. Both of them immeditately thought of Sugou, and how he had bragged about his position in the company, and they both felt anger rise as they thought of the snake. However, they switched their attention back to Andrew as he started to talk again.

"It's what you might consider the grand quest of IMO right now," Andrew replied. "I heard that what's supposed to happen is when you get to the tower, ya gotta fight all these crazy cult mobs to get at their leader, some guy named Zeref. Beat him, and ya either get to lean his magic, or ya can take him to justice where you supposed to get another kind of award from the Magic Council."

"What does that have to do with these pictures?" Michael asked sharply.

"Cool yo jets man, I was just getting' to that," Andrew said defensively. "Point is, game's been out for a year, and nobody's even made it past the minions yet. So some guy that had mastered wind magic flew up at tried to aim for the top a the tower that way. He was videoing himself with somethin' that they call 'video lachryma' and he got shot down by some lightning magic before he could even get close. But when he was runnin' through the video and savin' pictures, he found that stuff when he zoomed in as far as the lachryma could go."

"You said wind magic?" Kazuto asked, curious.

"Magic's the name a' the game," Andrew grinned. "Here's the deal- ya log in the first time and your avatar gets given an appearance and magic power type at random. You can change both, but the prices are IRL- and ridiculous. But if it's a transfer character, supposedly the longer you've spent on the rig, the better chances ya have at gettin' a rare kind a starting magic. Not only is that, but the game's sensitivity to the player's brain is so high that the magic is level-based, not skill-based. You think it, and as long as it's range of yo magic powers, the game'll do it."

"Such as…?" Kazuto asked, the gamer's light back in his eyes.

"Well, I'm just a basic earth wizard in the game, cos I started in that game brand-new, but I've worked up my skills a bit," Andrew replied. "I can make some sand twisters and rocks fly a bit, but I heard about this one guild master from this guild called Fairy Tail who uses some kinda crazy-advanced light magic, and he only got it cos he played in another game for like eight months at least six hours a day before he switched to IMO."

"Magic, eh?" Michael chuckled, leaning back in his seat a bit. "Sound cute."

"Not even, man," Andrew said seriously. "For starters, the game is skill-based, not level based. Second, PK's are pretty common, even encouraged."

"Like I said, sounds cute," Michael snorted.

Kazuto nodded in agreement. "I'm with him," he said. "A game where it's okay to die shouldn't be so bad."

"So y'all are gonna dive in there?" Andrew said, his arms folded. In response, the boy once known as a beater of Sword Art Online picked up the container. "So this game… This is where we can find our girls," Michael murmured as he looked at the box containing another gate into the virtual world. "What do you think, Kazuto?"

"Hmm… I think it might be time to revive the Black and Red Swordsmen," the boy replied as he held the picture of Asuna tenderly.

"I daresay you're right, Brother." Michael held up the box to their old friend as he said, "So do you mind if we borrow this for a few days? Shouldn't be more than a week at most."

"I had feeling you'd say that," Andrew nodded. "It's cool with me."

"I guess we'd better go buy the hardware for it," Kazuto sighed as he put the picture of Asuna and Sachi in his jacket. "Great."

"Don't worry, it's already compatible with what you got," Andrew grinned. "The new rig is called an Amusphere, and it's basically a NerveGear with updated security."

"Thank goodness," Kazuto sighed. He had been able to re-engage the safety function on his and Michael's Nervegears. Kikuoka had been convinced by the two to let them keep the helmets, due to their claims that there were things that mattered to them inside the hardware and because of their help in bringing certain things in Sword Art Online to light. He stuffed the game in his backpack as he walked up to Andrew. This isn't over," he said as he bumped fists with the massive bartender. "But when it is, we'll bring the guild over to celebrate."

"Sounds good to me," Andrew grinned. Michael simply gave their old comrade a two-fingered salute as he headed out the door, thoughts already racing towards the virtual world.

 _I wonder…_ he thought as he hailed a cab and Kazuto came to stand beside him on the street. _What kind of magic will Kirito and Mataras wield?_

* * *

When the two of them got home, they walked in through the back and happened to chance across Suguha, who was in the middle of chomping down on a muffin just as she locked eyes with Michael- and immediately turned red. She inhaled some of the muffin and began to choke. Michael's face also went red, unnoticed by Kazuto, who sighed to himself and handed her a juice pack, which she gulped down eagerly.

"Relax, that stuff's not going anywhere," Kazuto joked as he patted his sister on the back while she heaved in heavy gasps of air. "Take it easy, okay?"

"Ugh…" Suguha grumbled. "Yeah, sorry. Just… Warn me before you sneak up on me next time!"

"We weren't sneaking," Michael said, his face settling back down to its usual pale color with just a trace of red on each side now.

"Then why're you coming around the back?" Suguha challenged.

"Trying not wake Mom up," Kazuto replied easily. Their parent's bedroom was the only one located downstairs, and anyone coming in from the front door could be heard by anyone in that room. And since Midori worked nights, it was the Kirigaya's pattern to come in through the back to avoid disturbing her rest during the day.

"Oh, right…" Suguha said, chided.

Kazuto chuckled and ruffled her hair as he said, "Well, we'll be upstairs, working… See you for dinner, all right?"

Before Suguha could answer an affirmative, Michael said, "Actually, Kazuto, would you mind going up and setting up my space? I needed to ask Suguha something."

"Sure," Kazuto said as he walked off. As he walked inside, Michael sat down to Suguha without a word, who shifted uncomfortably.

After several moments of silence, Michael was the first to speak, cutting off any excuse that Suguha might have made to escape. "I just wanted to say thank you," he said finally, discomfort clear in his voice.

"For what?" Suguha asked curiously.

"For last night," Michael replied, his face turning red again. "I know that it likely turned out different than you intended… for which I should also apologize, as I should have not fallen asleep in such a manner."

"Ah…" Suguha flushed. "It was… Uh… It's okay," she said, also turning red. "I had just never… uh…"

"Fallen asleep next to a boy?" Michael grimaced. When she looked askance at the blunt tone, he said, "I figured I'd save you the trouble of saying yourself." Her face softened a bit, and she grinned sheepishly.

"Well… thanks, Michael," she said. "And don't worry about last night. It wasn't that big a problem."

"But it meant a lot," Michael said as he stood and looked at her with his dark eyes. "You are definitely your brother's sister, Suguha. Few would go out of their way to bring comfort to a virtual stranger, or even a friend for that matter. So thank you. Should you wish me to repay you, you have but to ask." And then he went to walk away, but she stopped him again.

"Uh, wait!" she said, causing him to halt and turn around. "Um… There is actually… One thing I could ask…" Michael noticed the redness in her face and the way she shuffled her feet, and began to get a sinking feeling in his gut, similar to how he had felt before turning down the hot-headed blacksmith, Lisbeth.

"Yes…?" he asked cautiously. _Blast, if she's infatuated with me, how do I let her down easier than Lisbeth?! She's Kazuto's sister, I can't be mean! On the other hand, maybe spending some time with her wouldn't be so- Gah! What am I thinking?! Stop it!_

"Could you teach me to fight like you're doing with Kazuto?" she asked.

 _Eh?_ He thought. "What?"

"I mean, if you don't want to, that's fine, I was just hoping to get to know you a little better, and learn some new martial arts," she mumbled, "Maybe then I can be a little better at kendo if I can be faster on my feet."

Mentally, Michael kicked himself viciously. _You idiot!_ He yelled at himself. _You thought she was going to ask you out?! What is wrong with you?!_ Outwardly, he smiled and said, "I'm always happy to teach what I know to others- just ask Sayuri. Er, that is, once she wakes up…"

"Huh?" Suguha asked, a little confused.

"Never mind," Michael sighed. "I was just reminiscing. In any case, I'd be happy to teach you in your spare time, Suguha."

"Thanks," she said with her own smile. For the first time since they had started talking that day, not a hint of red was found on either of their face. "See you for dinner, Michael."

"Of course," he said with a slight bow as he turned and walked away. Only when he was inside did he start yelling at himself again. _You might not be going on a date, but you're still going to spend time with her, you dunce! Wait, what am I thinking?! When did it even seem like she wanted a date?! I'm losing it!_

* * *

Still arguing back and forth with himself as he stepped into Kazuto's room, he came in just in time for Kazuto to set the two helmets on the desk where his computer lay. Kazuto cocked his head at Michael and said, "You okay? You look like something's bothering you."

"Eh?" Michael said, his face and thoughts clearing. "Uh… It's nothing for you to worry about. Let's just get started." Kazuto decided not to press the matter, instead handing his brother his full-dive rig.

"Let's bring 'em home," he said as he lay down on his bed.

Michael lay down on a green yoga mat and closed his eyes as he said, "Let's pull off the impossible once more, eh?" When Kazuto agreed, they intoned in unison; "Link, start!"

* * *

Suguha lay in her room, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her conversation with Michael should have satisfied her, but instead she felt as though things were even more unfinished than before. Sure, they would be spending more time together, but it wasn't exactly in the setting that she had hoped for, even though she was the one to make the suggestion. _But I don't know how else to spend time with him!_ She groaned inwardly. _All the time I spend with him is with Kazuto around!_

This wasn't to say that she resented Kazuto in any way- she loved her brother, and she was glad to have him back. She couldn't care less that he was her cousin, it didn't change their relationship. But as she had reflected before, although she was being attracted to Michael- her face turned red as she finally admitted it in such bare terms to herself- she knew very little about him aside from how he acted around Kazuto, whom he obviously respected and trusted a great deal, but not a clue as to what he was like on his own.

She turned over to gaze blankly at her clock, then nearly shot off the bed in a panic. _Crap!_ She thought hurriedly. _I forgot!_

* * *

"Welcome player, to Inner Magic Online!" a female, computerized voice echoed in the dark. Michael rolled his eyes as he braced himself for the inevitable tutorial. "In the land of Fiore, you will meet many wizards of great skill and many monsters of ill intent," the voice continued. "All while continuing to hone your own magical abilities! Please, select the town and name you wish to start with."

The first option showed a map of Fiore, and Michael immediately selected the one that was closest to the Tower of Heaven. He and Kazuto had both selected this town beforehand for the purpose of getting to the Tower of Heaven as quickly as possible. Then came up a keyboard, prompting him to enter his name.

His gender was fixed, unlike the starting and Beta times of Aincrad, as studies had shown that playing a character opposite to your real gender could have harmful side effects on one's brain, and thus one's body. Not that it mattered to him- he'd have re-enabled the NerveGear to fry his brain again sooner than play as a girl.

He entered his name immediately as 'Mataras', only hesitating for a fraction of a second. _It's not as though anyone besides Kazuto will recognize the name,_ he thought. They hadn't told anyone anybody's game names, not even Suguha as it was considered a taboo to do so. With the limited customizations complete, Michael waited for the voice to return.

"Thank you, player," it said happily. "You will now be transported to a guild in your village of choice. Good luck!" And the voice in the dark was gone, replaced by a brightly lit sky, and- trees?! Whirling around, Mataras noticed that he was surrounded by trees on all sides. He was in a forest.

"What the…?" he growled to himself. _I'm supposed to be at a beachside amusement park town, not in the middle of a forest! What is this nonsense?!_ He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Without Kirito or Sachi around, though, it was a lot more difficult for him to think straight.

When he finally cooled down a bit, he realized that he should check his menu to see if there was a particular feature present. After trying three times with his right hand, he tried with his left hand, on the verge of another explosion of fury. It worked, and even better, the logout function was easy to find. Heaving a sigh of relief, Mataras, went to close his menu, but then he noticed something odd.

Despite the fact that he had just started playing, all the skills listed on the menu were either jumbled-up Japanese figures or nearly maxed out. It took him a moment, but then re came to stunning- yet welcome- conclusion. _My old skills from Aincrad,_ he thought. _They carried over for some reason… Well, some of them. Let's see… Dragon Blood and my other sword skills are missing, but my skills concerning fishing, cooking- though meagre- and these others I never used in combat… They are all here. Why?_ Another thought struck him, and opened up his item tab, disappointed to see that all of them were now basically junk.

Well, all but one, but even that one he didn't recognize. Before he could open it, however, he heard a rustling sound behind him, and he whirled around with fists set in a fighting stance. "Who goes there?!" he barked.

"It's just me!" a familiar voice said, accompanied by a boy of middling height and black hair. "Thought I'd run into you- at least I hoped."

"You wound up out here too, eh?" Mataras chuckled as he relaxed and cracked fists with Kirito. "At least I'm not alone."

"Man, this time you went all the way with the red theme," Kirito laughed as his brother frowned at him. It was true, though- the game's avatar appearance randomizer had even given Mataras red hair and crimson eyes that went with his red clothes.

"Like you have room talk," Mataras muttered sourly. "It's always black with you- don't you ever feel the need for a wardrobe change?"

"Look, I think we have more important things to worry about than our appearances right now," Kirito said as he looked around. "For starters, where are we?"

"I have no idea, and I don't have a map in my inventory," Mataras said as he opened his menu. "Unless this thing is a map." He showed Kirito an item simply labelled as MCHP-002.

"MCHP?" Kirito read aloud with a frown. "That rings a bell… Wait a sec." He tore open his own menu and scrolled through until he too found a legible item. This one was called 'MCHP-001'.

"What is that?" Mataras asked as his friend summoned the item to his hand.

"What I was hoping for," Kirito said with a bright smile and the glint of tears in his eyes. The item in his hand was a shining blue crystal no bigger than a raindrop, and beautifully crafted. Mataras' first thought was that it would make a good necklace piece when Kirito touched it, and a blinding light hit them in the eyes, hard. Both boys backed away instinctively from it, though Kirito took a step back towards it before it started to fade.

And when the glow faded, there, in his arms, was the sleeping form of a little girl in a white dress. Her raven locks flowed to reach the small of her back, and her innocence shone like the radiance of a star. The child's name was Yui- daughter to Kirito and Asuna. She opened her eyes slowly, revealing light gray eyes that sparkled like opals as she looked into the face of her father for the first time in two months.

His face was slightly different to his real-life appearance, and his hair was more spiky, but Yui's eyes widened with delight as he said, "Wake up, angel, Remember me?"

"I do!" she said softly. She threw her arms around Kirito, who returned the embrace with the biggest smile Mataras had seen on him since they had awoken from Aincrad. "I remember you, Daddy!" Even Mataras had to smile at the tow of them, laughing, hugging and crying. But he knew that this was just the first step in restoring Kirito's family- first they had to bring Asuna home before they could be whole again.

When the two of them had finished their reunion, Kirito turned to look at the boy dressed in red, standing a few feet away from them with a grin on his face and arms crossed over his chest. Mataras' build in this world was roughly similar to his real one, except maybe a bit thicker than his usual, slim-yet-cut frame. "Do you remember that guy?" Kirito grinned as Yui's eyes widened a great deal.

"Uncle Mataras?" she gasped. "But… You were registered as dead by the system!"

"Nice to see you too," Mataras chuckled. "Kayaba let me off the hook." Then he was unable to speak as Yui leapt up to throw her arms around him with surprising agility, halting his words, and causing him to embrace her on instinct. "Hey there, Yui."

She leaned back and looked into his eyes with her unusual intensity before she said, "You seem happier, Uncle. I'm glad to see that."

"I am happier than I have been in a while," Mataras said as he set her down. "But I'm not all the way up to ecstatic just yet."

"What?" Yui said as she cocked her head at him.

"Honey, let's sit down," Kirito said as he walked up to pick Yui up again. "We have a bit to talk about." As he sat Yui down to explain what was going on, Mataras opened his own menu again, intrigued by the single item that he had found intact among his old items from Sword Art Online. 'MCHP' seemed to be a program label, he reasoned. _But I never had a program with me…_ he thought. _Not one like Yui, anyway._

Still, curiosity got the better of him. He summoned the item to his hand and was even more intrigued to see that a red crystal similar to Yui's was now floating above his palm. Just as he'd observed his brother do, Mataras touched the red jewel, and was rewarded with a blinding flash of light that radiated heat as well.

When it faded, Yui, Kirito, and Mataras were surprised to see a boy standing in place of the gem with closed eyes. He was about Yui's age, with short brown hair and pale features. There was a serious air about him, and it was with caution that Kirito eyed the child, intent on keeping Yui safe.

"You're all afraid of me," the boy said, his eyes still closed, and a small smile on his face. "There is no need to be. I am here to help you, as in the times gone by."

"Times gone by?" Mataras repeated. "Wait, I know you, don't I?"

"You named me," the boy chuckled as he looked up with silver eyes to regard Mataras. "I should hope that you know me."

"I nam- Litrosh," Mataras said with a grin. "Of course."

"Litrosh?" Kirito said, surprised. "Your dragon? How is that possible?"

"When Aincrad began to collapse, Akihiko Kayaba saved my data and altered my programming somehow," Litrosh shrugged. "In short, he wanted me to continue to accompanying Mataras to whichever realm he chose to go. And while I found his actions in SAO to be unforgivable… I also owe him thanks for saving my life." When nobody said anything, he added, "And now I sense that we are about to begin a new adventure, yes?"

"Aye," Mataras said as he ruffled the child's hair with a grin. "You always did catch on quickly, old friend."

"Then bring me all the way up to speed," Litrosh grinned back. "I am eager to assist."

The two brothers spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened after Sword Art Online had collapsed, including Asuna's situation and what they hoped to find in the new virtual world. The two AI listened with rapt attention, only interrupting a few times to ask questions and find out what they could about the new world form its map data. According to them, the reason why some of their old skills and stats transferred over was because the new game had essentially been copied over from SAO's mainframe. However, the two warriors were forced to delete their items out of fear of the game's error detection program discovering them.

Once all that was done, Mataras stretched and said, "So, how do we even know what kind of magic we have?" Litrosh directed them both to their skill menu, and told them to equip whichever skill they saw first in one of the three slots above the heads of their menu mannequins. Yui explained that while it was possible to learn more than one kind of magic- up to three in the game- most people didn't do it because of how much time and effort it took into mastering one form alone.

Mataras' eyes widened as he found that his magic was called 'Fire Dragon Slayer' Magic. Kirito's was also Dragon Slayer Magic, but his element was labelled as 'Shadow Dragon Slayer'. "Litrosh, how rare is this magic?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "There are many kinds of dragons referenced in this game, but from what I can tell, the game only allows for there to be one kind of each dragon slayer at a time. In other words, now that you're a Fire Dragon Slayer, no other player can ever become one."

"Same with your magic, Daddy!" Yui said excitedly. "And according to what Litrosh and I have been able to research, few magics can match the destructive power of a Dragon Slayer!" Mataras grinned at that particular comment, though he said nothing.

"So it sounds like Agil was right about the conversion thing," Kirito grinned. "We've got thousands of hours logged on our NerveGears- no wonder we got magic like this."

"I like it," Mataras said, his grin widening as he rifled through his magic attack list on his menu. "I like this very much indeed." His fist clenched as the menu closed, and fire sprang to life, engulfing his arm up to his elbow.

"Say…" Kirito said as he turned to his daughter, struck by a thought. "How are you two being recognized by the system? You said you could only access maps and nearby player data, but not admin privileges. So what does that make you?"

"Let's see…" Yui said her hand on her chin. Then her gaze brightened, and a glow enveloped her, much to her father's surprise. Litrosh did the same, so Mataras took a couple of steps back to give them room.

What came next was not at all what the Red Swordsman had expected. "Whoa!" Kirito gasped as he looked at Yui's new form. "That's so cool!"

"Cool was not the first word that came to mind," Mataras admitted as he looked at the two AI in their new bodies. Yui was in the form of a small white cat that stood on two feet like a person in a pink sweater that looked like the one Asuna had given her back in Aincrad. Litrosh was a blue cat roughly the same size, looking up at them with a cocked head. "What are you?"

"We're what the game calls 'exceeds'," Litrosh replied as shining white wings sprang from his back out of nowhere and allowed him to float up to be eye level with Mataras. "Exceeds are capable of flying at Mach speed while carrying a full-grown person, are usually as intelligent as the average person, and some can even assist their familiars in battle."

"How?" Mataras chuckled. "By scratching your opponent to death?" In response, Litrosh glowed again, though not as brightly, and immediately increased in size to be nearly twice Mataras' height. The Red Swordsman blinked once at the now-muscular Litrosh and said, "I see your point."

Litrosh grinned and shrank back down to his original size as he said, "I can't maintain that form for more than a couple of minutes, but I assure you, I can be of use in a battle."

"Nice to know," Mataras nodded. "Now, can you tell where the nearest town is? We were supposed to spawn near the sea, but something happened and we ended up in the middle of nowhere."

"We're actually quite close to a city called Magnolia," Yui said brightly. "We should go there and see if we can find some help." She moved behind her father and grabbed his back to lift him with ease as she sprouted her own wings. "This magic stuff is pretty cool, huh Daddy?"

"You got that right!" he laughed as she rose into the air. Litrosh did the same with Mataras, rising up quickly to meet Yui in the air while carrying Mataras.

"Are there any extra things about our magic that you two can tell us while we fly?" Mataras asked as they started moving towards a mountain ridge. "Something not on the basic skill's list?"

"Well, for one, you are capable of consuming external sources of the same elemental magic you possess," Litrosh replied after a moment.

"So… that means I can absorb other people's shadow magic, but not my own?" Kirito asked after thinking for a second.

"Yes, and just shadows in general," Yui nodded. "In fact, dark places are where you're at your strongest, Daddy. Because that's when you have the most shadows available to absorb."

"Also, you don't just absorb the element," Litrosh added. "You have to eat it."

"Eat it?" Mataras replied flatly.

"Yes, and in doing so, you can restore your own lost reserves of power and health," Litrosh nodded, even though Mataras wasn't looking up at him.

"What if we're in perfect shape?" Kirito asked.

"Feeling cocky, are we?" Mataras smirked at his brother.

"In that case, your attacks will do more damage for a limited amount of time, I believe," Litrosh answered after scanning the data he had available. "How long and how strong this affect is, I'm not sure. There's simply not a whole lot of data on Dragon Slayers- as a matter of fact, based on what I'm reading, you may be the only two in the entire game."

"Sounds like we're beaters again," Kirito chuckled.

"Forget that, we're simple cheaters now," Mataras remarked. "With our stats and skill levels, there's no question about that."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Kirito sighed. It wasn't long after they got to memorizing some of the spells they could use that they heard a scream from down below. Looking over at his brother, he saw the same sharp look in his eyes that told him that they were thinking the same thing. "Take us down," he said to the two exceeds.

"Aye, sir," Litrosh growled as he sensed an oncoming battle. Together, the four of them dropped down into the dark forest. As soon as they landed in a cluster of some trees just beyond a clearing where the noise had come from, Mataras made a signal for everyone to be quiet.

"Litrosh, Yui, stay back unless we call you," he ordered.

"But we can help," Litrosh said with a frown.

"Trust me, we won't need it," Kirito chuckled as he saw Mataras crack his knuckles. "Mataras has a fire in his heart that's just waiting to let out." With that, the two boys stepped out into the moonlight to see a bizarre scene.

"Someone care to explain all of this?" Mataras demanded as they stood about twenty paces away from some rough-looking men, all with an identical sigil on their arms that had a beautiful blond girl with brown eyes backed against a tree.

"What the-?" One of them said as he turned to face the two boys. One of his comrades followed suit, and the third one kept an eye on the girl. "Who are you clowns?"

"You could say we're new in town," Kirito said with a pleasant smile that never reached his eyes. "And I believe my friend here asked you first, so it's you turn- what's going on here? Why are three guys beating up on one chick?"

"Guys, you'd better run!" the girl tried to say, but the leader of the three thugs cut her off.

"We're with Phantom Lord!" he shouted angrily. "And this is private guild business, so you'd best stay out of it unless you want a piece of us!"

"He wants to give us a chance to run away and stay safe," Kirito said aside to Mataras, who smiled wolfishly. "How generous of him."

"I think we'll extend the same courtesy to him," the red-haired boy replied. Addressing the thugs, he said a bit louder, "The real question is: do you really want to fight us?"

"That's it!" one of them shouted angrily. "You newbs are history! _Shadow Knuckle_!" He thrust forward with both fists, and eight tendrils of dark energy shot out of a black magic circle, each one ending in what looked like a fist. Kirito winked at Mataras, who then leaped up high and backwards to land on a tree branch so that the magic would miss him.

They all struck Kirito with enough force to break ribs, and a dust cloud billowed from the force of the blow. The thugs laughed at the site, and the blond girl sagged in sorrow. Her name was Leafa, and she had just been out on a job request with her friend when the mercenaries from Phantom Lord had ambushed them. Her friend had already fallen prey to their magic, and her own power was exhausted. She had just been about to make a run for it when the two boys had come from out of nowhere.

Then, something very peculiar got the attention of the all those in attendance. A loud slurping sound could be heard coming from within the dust cloud, and when it settled, there stood Kirito, completely unharmed. "Now that's new," he said as he wiped at his mouth. "I didn't know shadows could be so… tasty."

"What the…?" the thug that had attacked him gasped. "What did… what did you do?! That attack's never failed me before!"

"First time for everything," Mataras said smugly, still in a tree. "Ready, Kirito?"

"You bet!" he grinned as he looked over at the blond girl. "Hey, it's cool if we waste these guys, right?"

"Well, yeah…" she said after a moment of wide-eyed confusion. "I mean, it's not like they were gonna let you walk away anyways…"

"Then sit back and watch," Mataras chuckled darkly. "Careful, though- first three rows are a bit of a… splash zone." No sooner had the words left his mouth than did Kirito launch himself forward at such high speed that a shockwave rippled from where he stood.

Even more startling than his speed to those that were watching him were the words he exclaimed next: " _Shadow Dragon SLASH_!" Darkness enveloped his arm and he struck at the man who had attacked him with knife-hand technique that Michael had drilled into him, cutting him in two instantly, despite his resistance to shadow magic that came with his power. He burst apart into dark flames as Kirito- who had moved so fast that he had ended up several yards past the others- turned around with a confident smirk on his face to face his adversaries, who looked decidedly nervous.

"So," he said, waving at them to come closer. "Who's next?"

* * *

 **Sachi: They sure didn't waste any time getting rid of that guy.**

 **Asuna: That's Kirito for you.**

 **Mataras: I'm glad our actions meet with your approval.**

 **Asuna: Yeah, well I can tell that there's gonna be some unhappy campers coming at you, Red Swordsman.**

 **Mataras: How is that?**

 **Sachi: You left them on a cliffhanger again.**

 **Mataras: You two just _had_ to bring that up, didn't you?!**

 **Asuna: Yes, yes we did. Enjoy all the hate mail coming your way!**

 **Mataras: ... This is payback, isn't it?**


	19. Leafa and Fairy Tail

**A/N: Hello once again, everyone! Time for the Dragon Slayers to meet Leafa and some of the members of Fairy Tail!**

 **Just as a side note, in case I didn't do a good job with the description, Kirito basically looks like his old Spriggan self minus his wings. Also, go and do yourselves a favor if you've read the Toa of Aincrad- go back and check out the artwork. Thanks to my fiance, you can now see the Moonlit Black Cats in their entirety during the final days of Aincrad. I hope you enjoy the chapter (and the new art if you decide to look it up), and please be sure to leave a review!**

* * *

Leafa and Fairy Tail

Neither of the thugs looked like they wanted to fight Kirito first, nor did it look like they had learned their lesson, either, Mataras thought. Looking his brother in the eye and exchanging a nod, he shouted at the two mercenaries. "Oei! Phantom!" He remembered that they had affiliated themselves with the name, though its major significance was still not yet known to him. "This is from the Moonlit Black Cats!"

Leafa's eyes widened in admiration as the red-haired boy moved with an incredible speed that matched his grinning companion's own movements. Even more surprising was the next words out of his mouth: " _Fire Dragon IRON FIST_!"

 _Dragon Slayer magic?!_ She thought as her jaw dropped. _He has it, too?! That's… That's impossible!_ But before she had even finished thinking these things, Mataras' flaming fist had smashed into the face of the thug closest to her, sending him flying through- not into, _through_ \- three trees before his health was completely drained and he vanished.

The two boys turned with wicked grins to look at the leader, who was definitely backing away now. "So, you wanna have the next go?" Kirito said as he cricked his neck.

"Nah, I'm good," the man said as he held his hands up in surrender. "My magic's endurance is maxed out almost all the way, so I'd rather not die just yet."

"At least you're honest about it," Kirito chuckled as he turned back to the girl. "How about you, miss? Feel like having a go?"

The girl looked long and hard at the thug before she finally said, "I guess I'll pass. But next time, you're all going down!" She directed the last words at the man that had been within inches of robbing her.

"Well, then next time I'll have to bring more friends along," the man replied with a smirk. He turned to go, but suddenly- and painfully- he found himself eating dirt with Mataras' foot mashing on the back of his skull.

"There will be no 'next time', you hear?" the Red Swordsman growled. "If I see any of your kind picking on girls like that again, the first you'll know of my involvement is when I burn your flesh to a crisp." Then he stepped off of him- just long enough to give himself room to kick the crook in the behind with thunderous force.

He walked away with a satisfied expression while the man groaned in pain. "Fun as that was, I think that you had best get moving, ma'am," he said as he approached the dumbstruck girl. "He won't be bothering you anymore, but from what I understand, he wouldn't be the only one lurking around, correct?"

"W-Wait, what?!" the girl sputtered. "I feel like I missed some things! Who are you guys?! Why did you help me? Are you with Blue Pegasus or something?!" Then another thought struck her, and she reached for something at her belt. "Or did you two just wanna get those guys out of the way so you could fight me youself?"

Mataras and Kirito both gave her blank looks before Kirito said, "You know, if we break down what just happened here, it's one of those 'knight in shining armor saves the princess moments'. You could burst into to tears and wrap your arms around my friend here." He pointed at Mataras with his thumb, who immediately objected.

"Oei!" he sputtered. "Why me?!"

"I'm spoken for," the black-clothed boy grinned.

"You guys wish a girl like me would hug you!" their rescued companion sputtered angrily. "You should be half that lucky!"

"Actually, he's got someone pretty great already to hug him," Mataras smirked. "As for me- well, I don't need a girl hanging on my arm anyways. It takes away from time I have better things to do with."

Before Leafa could utter a sharp retort, a deep voice said from above, "It's good to see that you haven't lost any of your charm." To the girl's surprise, a blue exceed floated out from the tree line, followed by a white one that seemed to be a girl based on the clothes it was wearing. "You can still turn any situation into an argument, can't you?"

"It's my gift to the world," Mataras grinned as the blue exceed landed in front of him with a frown on its adorable features.

"I hate to let you down like this, but the world wants a gift receipt," Litrosh shot back.

"No refunds or exchanges- only store credit," Mataras chuckled.

"Hey!" the girl shouted, getting everyone's attention again. "You never answered my questions! And are those exceeds?!"

"Uh… Yeah, let's go with that," Kirito nodded as Yui looked up at the blond girl.

"To answer your previous questions…" Mataras said, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm Mataras, this is Kirito and our companions, Yui and Litrosh. We helped you because we wanted to and for no other reason. We have no idea what or who Blue Pegasus is, and if we wanted to fight you, we would have done it by now." Before the girl could say anything else, Mataras finished by saying, "What is your name, and why were they attacking you?"

"Wait, so you're not affiliated with any guilds?" the girl asked. When Mataras simply scowled in response, she said, "Okay, okay! Sheesh… My name is Leafa, and I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. Those guys were from Phantom Lord, a rival guild that's been getting on our nerves lately. A friend of mine and I were out on a raid when those guys ambushed us."

"So we just walked in on a gang war?" Kirito said aloud.

"We're not gangs, we're guilds!" Leafa said angrily. "Well, I mean, some people might agree that Phantom operates like a gang, but not Fairy Tail!"

"Just cool it," Mataras grumbled. "I was simply calling it how I saw it."

"You saw wrong!"

"Really? Then I didn't see you about to get your inflated ego handed to you by those three crooks?" Mataras snorted.

"They ambushed me!"

"Hey, guys?" Kirito said to interrupt. "Why don't we just start over? We already beat up the bad guys- let's not start on each other, okay?" Mataras quickly subsided out of respect for his guild leader. Leafa saw his immediate attitude change, and it puzzled her enough to put out her fuse. Kirito sighed with relief as he said, "Thanks, guys."

"No problem…" Leafa said as she looked over at Mataras, who simply muttered something under his breath. Something about the way that he stood as he talked to himself was familiar, she thought, but a new question quickly put the thought aside. "So, how long have you guys been playing?"

"We just started about thirty minutes ago," Kirito answered.

"What the-?!" Leafa gasped. "Only thirty minutes?! Then how did you knock those guys flat like that?!"

"We're Dragon Slayers," Mataras shrugged. "I was under the impression that this is the strongest kind of magic in the game."

"Well, yeah, but still…" Leafa said, confused. "I mean, if you only _just_ started playing, how could you beat three veterans like it was nothing?"

"Mataras here is pretty good with hand-to-hand," Kirito said easily. "He's shown me a few things, and our exceeds helped us learn what kind of magic attacks we can use. But I could really go for right now is a good sword…" The last part was mostly to himself, and for some reason, Leafa found it hilarious.

She burst out laughing, which led Mataras to ask, "What's so funny?"

"Your friend!" she giggled. "He's got one of the most powerful magics in the whole world, and he wants a sword?!" She started laughing again, which led Mataras to regard Kirito with a slight smirk.

"She does make a good point, you know," he chuckled.

"Hey!" Kirito protested. "Once a swordsman, always a swordsman! You should know!"

"True, but the Law of the Sword is not limited to my blade," Mataras countered. "You should know that as well as I do."

Leafa, who had stopped laughing by now, grinned at them both and said, "Well, Mataras, Kirito. Are you doing anything tonight? If you want, I can buy you a drink at my guild hall as thanks for saving me."

"Sounds good to me!" Kirito said cheerily, his argument with Mataras already forgotten. "Lead the way, Miss Leafa."

"Just call me Leafa," she said with a smile as she shook hands with the spiky-haired boy in black. She shook hands with Mataras as well, who also accepted her invitation. It seemed to Leafa that whatever Kirito wanted to happen, Mataras would go along with, despite his complaints. _They must be friends in the real world,_ she thought as they began the trek back to Magnolia.

* * *

Once they had reached the town, the group was getting along fairly well. Leafa explained to the two boys that the type of magic she used was summoning. "What exactly do you summon?" Mataras had asked, only to be interrupted before his question could be answered. They were just about to enter a larger building with a gate that read on the overhang: Fairy Tail.

"Leafa!" a guy with dark hair shouted as he ran up. He was a tall, fit avatar, with handsome features. Mataras immediately suspected him of paying for that look. "Thank God you're okay!"

"Oh, hey Recon," Leafa said as the other player came to a stop in front of them. "What's up?"

"I was worried sick about you!" the boy declared. "Did those Phantom thugs get you?" His mannerisms and his avatar definitely didn't seem to match, Mataras concluded again. This guy was likely a hardcore gamer- a nerd that got picked on in real life, so he would try to compensate for it in here.

"As if," Leafa snorted. She gestured to Kirito and Mataras as she said, "These two guys sent 'em packing in no time."

"Oh yeah?" Recon said as he looked them up and down. "What kinda magic do they use? Let me guess- the one in red is a fire wizard, and the other one is a shadow wizard."

"Close," Kirito nodded with a grin. "But you're only half right."

"Well, what's the other half?" Recon challenged, seeming somewhat irritated.

"It's rather rude to ask about some else's skill set," Mataras said with a frown. "Unless you plan to reveal your own magic first, I suggest you learn some manners."

"Sucks to be you," Recon retorted. "Fairy Tail wizards aren't known for having nice manners- but we are known for kicking some serious butt."

"Are you threatening me?" Mataras growled ominously.

"Well, seeing as you're two unmarked wizards-"

"Hey, Recon, shill out," Leafa said sharply. "Why'd you come to find me in the first place?"

"Huh?" the other boy said, nonplussed for a second. "Oh, right! Laxus and the othes were gonna meet up at the tavern up the road to divvy up the spoils from today's job. Aren't you coming?"

"Oh, right…" Leafa said, thinking for a moment. "Actually, I have other plans tonight. I promised I'd buy these two a drink for saving me." She manipulated her menu quickly to give Recon a number of items before turning and resuming her walk into the guild hall. "Later, Recon!"

"But- aw…" he mumbled, looking downcast.

"Chin up, kid," Mataras said with a slightly malicious smile as he followed the girl. "There's always another fish in the sea."

"K-Kid?!" he sputtered angrily as Kirito followed without a word.

* * *

"What did your boyfriend mean when he called us unmarked?" Kirito asked Leafa as their drinks were set out in front of them.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Leafa said defensively. Her declaration caught the attention of several other wizards that were dining in the hall. All of them bore a mark somewhere on their avatar that marked them as a Fairy Tail wizard- save for the two Dragon Slayers.

Noticing the looks they were getting, Leafa muttered in a lower tone, "I just know him in real life, that's all. I don't like him like that."

"That seems one-sided," Mataras chuckled under his breath.

Leafa decided to ignore him and raise her mug instead. "Anyways, thanks again for saving me," she said as the two boy clacked mugs with her. After they had all wet their throats, Kirito finally decided to broach the subject that had been on his and Mataras' mind for some time.

"Leafa?" he asked. "Do you mind if we ask you a few questions? About this world and in particular, the Tower of Heaven?"

"Shoot," Leafa said with a grin.

"Okay, question one: are players usually that rough in this game?" Kirito asked earnestly. In SAO, if a group of players had acted like the Phantom Lord thugs had, they'd have been arrested on the spot.

"Well for starters, Phantoms and Fairies have never gotten along," Leafa shrugged. "But those guys were organized, which definitely wasn't happening until recently. I dunno for sure, but if you ask me, it seems like they're gearing up to take on the Tower of Heaven."

"That tower…" Mataras muttered. "What do you know about it?"

"Yeah, you guys mentioned that before," Leafa said with a concerned gaze. "Why do you wanna know about it so bad?"

"We wanna get up to the top, soon as we can," Kirito answered.

"Join the club," Leafa chuckled. _Everyone_ wants to get to the top of that tower. You could say it's the grand quest of IMO."

"Why is that?" Kirito asked while Mataras chugged his drink. Andrew had been able to tell them the basics about the Tower and its rewards, but Kirito wanted details. As a Beta Tester of SAO, he had always wanted as much information as he could get his hands on.

"You know how we've all got a limit to our magic power?" Leafa replied seriously. "I know you two are pretty top-notch in terms of power and endurance, but even your magic can run out. Thing is, if you can get up to the top of the tower, you'll have a choice to make. If you can defeat the guy at the top, the Black Wizard Zeref, you can both accept his teachings and learn how to gain unlimited magic power, or you can turn him over to the magic council, which grants you the title of Wizard Saint, and access to some pretty incredible magic amplification treatments. It's not the same as _unlimited_ power, but you get a lot of respect for holding that title. So far, only ten players have earned that title, but whoever completes the quest would surpass them all at once."

"Man, unlimited magic…?" Kirito mused aloud.

"How do we get to the top?" Mataras interjected, well aware of how his brother could end up going on a massive tangent if he wasn't stopped in time.

"Well, you have to make it over to the Akane Resort first, then take a boat over to the tower to start the quest," Leafa said. "After that, you can enter the tower. But you also have to make it past the army of NPC guardians that block the way- and they're crazy strong."

"It's that bad, huh?" Kirito said dejectedly.

"Let me put it this way," Leafa chuckled. "The game's been out for a year now, right? Nobody's beaten it yet. Not only are the grunts crazy strong, but there's supposed to be three elite guardians, and the one party that managed to get to one of them was wiped in ten."

"Ten minutes?" Litrosh scoffed. "Perhaps not the best of efforts, but-"

"Ten seconds," Leafa corrected the blue exceed, causing the four of them to jerk involuntarily with surprise. "Yeah… All they said was that there was this crazy loud noise that shot them out of the tower and killed them as soon as they hit the water down below."

"Ouch," Kirito winced. "Still, I can imagine a lot of people would be after that reward."

"Yeah, but since it only goes to one person, getting a party together for the quest is all but impossible," Leafa sighed. "Who would want to go through all that trouble and not even get in on the reward?"

"Perhaps everyone is simply missing out on a key quest that would grant them the magic power to defeat the guardians?" Mataras suggested.

"That has been a theory, but not even a team of four wizard saints were able to beat the quest," Leafa sighed. "Then again…" she grinned at the two brothers. "There's never been a Dragon Slayer on the quest before, either. And magic is pretty addictive, so imagine having an unlimited amount! Maybe you two could pull it off- in a few years."

Mataras' fist slammed down on the table, smashing it to pieces as fire blazed on his hand. Everyone gasped at him in shock as he roared, " _We can't wait that long_!" Leafa looked up at him with a mixture of fear and awe as the other guild members' looks changed from surprised to angry.

"Hey, you better pay for that!" an older man shouted.

"It's cool, Macao!" Leafa said hurriedly. "He's with me- I'll pay for it!" Kirito grabbed Mataras arm and forced him to sit back down with a grim look on his face as Yui and Litrosh looked at the angry young man with concern. The girl's offer seemed to pacify the others, but there were still suspicious glances being thrown their way.

"I… I apologize," Mataras said with visible effort. To Leafa it seemed like he was putting in more effort to control his temper than the amount he had put into breaking the table. "I should not have lashed out. But… We have to get to the top… as soon as we possibly can." His maroon eyes blazed with a silent fire that Leafa found difficult to look away from.

"Uh… Okay…" she said after a moment. "What's the rush?"

"We're… looking for some people," Kirito answered uncomfortably. "No offense, but… It's hard to explain." Leafa noticed now that both boys seemed inexplicably sad, and she found herself at a loss for words. The forlorn look in their eyes were nearly enough to move her to tears.

Kirito sighed deeply before straightening himself a bit. "Thank you, Leafa," he said quietly. "All the info you gave us is really gonna help." And he stood to go, Yui walking beside him. Mataras and Litrosh weren't far behind, but the Red Swordsman stopped when Leafa grabbed his forearm.

"Wait," she said, her eyes downcast. "Are you two headed for the Tower of Heaven _right now_?" Mataras looked over at Kirito, who nodded.

"Aye," Mataras answered. "We need to see for ourselves." And he started to pull away.

"Alone?" Leafa said, her voice rising a little bit as Mataras pulled away and the two swordsmen headed for the door. "That's crazy- it's really far away, and you'll have to fight a bunch of monsters." When they ignored her, she continued, "I know you guys can handle yourselves, but-" She looked up as she realized that they had their goal set in their hearts, and nothing would dissuade them.

And then, she made a decision.

"Hey!" she called in a stronger voice, causing the two of them to pause at the door, and attracting the attention of some of the onlookers. "If you want, I can take you there!"

"Thanks…" Kirito began.

"But it wouldn't be right," Mataras said firmly. "We just met, and we cannot ask you to come all that way with us." Kirito nodded in agreement, but Leafa was walking towards them, shoulders hunched and face still downcast.

"Right," she said briskly. "Then maybe you already know how to get there?"

"Uh-" Mataras' point that they had exceeds was cut off by Leafa's next words.

"Watcha gonna do about the guardians?" she said in the same sharp tone.

"Smash em-" Kirito was also cut off.

"Too late!" Leafa declared, meeting Kirito's eyes firmly. When she looked at Mataras, though, she flushed a bit and averted her gaze, though her voice stayed strong. "My mind's made up!"

"Oei…" Mataras grumbled. "Okay, you win."

"So…" Leafa said slowly, finally meeting Mataras' eyes once more. "Do you wanna meet up tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Kirito nodded. "Sure."

"Cool," Leafa said as she opened her menu. "Then I'll meet you here tomorrow at three p.m. sharp. Uh, I have to log out now, so you can rent out a room from the guild for the night, but-"

"Hold." Mataras' voice was abrupt, commanding. Leafa instantly froze. When she looked at him, she was surprised to see him grinning fiercely. "Thank you, Leafa." She smiled at him in return, although in a kinder manner. Then she executed her logout function to return to the world of reality.

* * *

Suguha opened her eyes to see a poster of Leafa on her ceiling, a golden key in her hand, striking a confident pose. Above her were several zodiac constellations. She removed her Amusphere and set above her on her nightstand.

" _If you want, I can take you there!"_ As Leafa's words echoed in her mind, she felt the heat in her face rising rapidly. Recon had always said that Leafa was more confident than Suguha, but this was new, even for her. Letting out a loud squeal, she buried her face in her pillow out of sheer embarrassment.

As she felt the heat in her face dissipate after a long, long moment, she mumbled to herself, "Kirito… Mataras… What a weird couple of guys." _Especially that Fire Wizard…_

* * *

"Well…" Mataras said as he sat down on the floor. "She was… enthusiastic."

"Says the guy that smashed a table without even trying," Litrosh chuckled.

"I'll be more careful," Mataras grumbled.

"I hope so," Kirito sighed as he sat on the bed with Yui. "If word gets out that there's a Dragon Slayer- not to mention two- it'll be like what happened after the Gleam Eyes all over again."

"Don't remind me," Mataras sighed.

"Hey, Uncle Mataras?" Yui said in her soft voice.

"Yes, Yui?" he replied as he looked at her with his head cocked.

"You know how we said we could analyze players we come into close contact with?" Yui said cautiously. "Well, Litrosh and I were able to analyze Leafa."

"Is there something about her that we should be aware of?" Kirito asked with concern. He would hate to think that the girl that had been so nice to him and his brother would be hiding something from them.

"Well, it's just that Mataras might have to watch his step around her," Litrosh said with a grin. "She's pretty taken with you."

"Eh?" Mataras said, hoping he wasn't hearing right.

"Her heartbeat was elevated when she was talking to you, and she seemed to have difficulty holding eye contact," Yui said in a matter-of-fact tone. "These are both symptoms of an infatuation, sort of like when Daddy was around Mommy."

"Hold on a second!" Mataras gasped. "This is very much not the same thing! Your parents' relationship was forged in the fires of life-and-death situations, not a video game! Also, I barely know her, and vice versa. Even if she is smitten, I am not reciprocating the feeling!"

"This isn't just a game, or have you forgotten?" Kirito said quietly.

"I am well aware of that, Kirito," Mataras said hotly. "But as far as she's concerned, we're hardcore gamers looking for a friend. She doesn't know that lives are on the line. So it's not the same. Wait, why am I even discussing this with you three?" He shot the last question at all of them.

"I'm just enjoying watching you squirm, personally," Litrosh grinned.

"Did Kayaba program you to be so facetious?" Mataras scowled.

"I'm just wondering why she is attracted to you," Yui admitted. "I was created to understand humans, but my limited interactions with them has not prepared me for a situation like this one."

"None of us are," Kirito chuckled. "From what I gather, this happens around our age. A girl likes a guy or the other way around, and then they play games to see which one'll admit it first."

"I'm not playing any stupid high school games!" Mataras snarled. "I don't like her!"

"You sure?" Kirito grinned mischievously. "Leafa _is_ pretty."

"I think you got hit with one too many microwaves when you were wearing that NerveGear, Kirito," Mataras groaned. "We're not in SAO! That's not what she really looks like, and not to mention, she probably acts different on the other side!"

"Nah, I don't think so," Kirito replied with a shrug. "If anything- and you know I'm right- people's real side comes out here, where they aren't punished for breaking society's rules."

Mataras opened his mouth to refute the point, but then he closed it. He knew Kirito was right- people often did show their true colors in the virtual world, and often it wasn't a nice side. But Leafa had chosen to go out of her way to help them without any obligation to do so. Still…

"I don't like her like that," he muttered. "Maybe if I knew her in the real world it might be different. But I don't, so…" He shrugged and opened his menu. "I'll see you all on the other side." And he logged out even as Litrosh bade them a good night, leaving Yui and Kirito alone.

Litrosh would enter what was akin to a sleep cycle since he was attached to Mataras the Avatar. Kirito watched them disappear with a smile before he looked down at Yui.

"I hope Uncle finds somebody amazing like you found Mommy," Yui sighed.

"Me too, sweetheart," Kirito agreed. "Me too…"

Michael pulled his NerveGear off and set it down on the floor next to him. _That world would actually be fun if we didn't have to deal with Sugou…_ He clenched his fist, remembering how the flames had responded to his every command. _From Dragon Master to Dragon Slayer… I might enjoy this anyway._ A slow, dark smile crept across his face.

* * *

 **Asuna: Well well, looks like things are already shaping up for the Red Leaf.**

 **Sachi: I dunno... Big Brother doesn't seem to want to go for it.**

 **Asuna: Just give him time, Leafa's a nice girl! 'Sides, he could use someone to calm him down and keep his spirits up from time to time.**

 **Sachi: Kirito seems to be restraining him just fine.**

 **Asuna: Oh, just watch. As soon as they get into a fight with other players, they'll just end up egging each other on.**

 **Sachi: Kirito wouldn't do that!**

 **Asuna: You think I don't know my husband? Without us girls around, the male ego is just gonna go nuts.**

 **Sachi: Oh dear...**


	20. The Sign

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry this took so long to update. I was planning on releasing a new cover image like I had with Toa of Aincrad, but it's been delayed because my artist is pretty sick :P Hopefully, I can have the image up by next chapter, but we'll see. But I've taken up enough of yoour time- go enjoy the story, and please be sure to review!**

* * *

The Sign

 _Wham! Thud._ "Ow…" Kazuto grumbled as he rubbed his back. "D'ya have to be so hard on me?" He was on the floor of the dojo in a heap, Michael standing above him with annoyingly superior smirk on his face.

"A real enemy would never soften his blows," Michael scoffed. "So why should your training be any different?"

"Uh… Cos you're _not_ my enemy?" the boy on the floor grumbled. "You're supposed to be my teacher, not my torturer."

"Who says I can't be both?" his friend smirked. "Come on, just think of it like you're learning a new sword skill. If we practice it enough, a technique becomes burned into our muscle memory and instinct- or in a way you might understand, the system's auto-assist starts to kick in."

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Kazuto grumbled. "It's just like in my starting days of the beta…"

"Actually, you're doing rather well for how long you've been learning from me," Michael admitted. "I just happen to be the beater in this case, and you're the amateur front-liner."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Kazuto sighed as he stood up with his brother's help. "Because I'm having trouble remembering why we're doing this at all."

"I'm pushing you now because the more skilled we are out here, the better our skills in IMO," Michael replied. "Now stop your whining and let's go get lunch."

"That part I don't mind," Kazuto grinned.

* * *

Suguha sighed heavily to herself as she walked through the courtyard of her school. She had been excited to start her combat lessons with Michael, but then her kendo instructor had asked her to stay late after school to help tutor some of the younger students. _At least I'll be home in time to get onto IMO…_

"Hold it right there, Leafa!" a high-pitched, nasally voice caught the girl by surprise, as did the appearance of its owner. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she looked at her friend in the eye.

"I thought I told you not to call me that out here, Nagata," she said warningly. Her friend was a short boy with brown hair and eyes, framed by rounded glasses, and a nervous air about him. He was also known as the Fairy Tail Wizard Recon. His older brother also played, but Gray wasn't around the guild hall very much, due to him taking on higher-paying jobs that required longer excursions than most.

"R-Right, sorry," the younger boy said sheepishly. "W-Well, I just wanted to talk to you about your plans for later… The Thunder Legion says that they'll be going on a criminal guild hunt this afternoon, and they wanted you to help 'em out…"

"Oh, right…" Suguha sighed. "Well, they'll have to go without me- I won't be around the guild hall for a few days."

"Wha-?!" Nagata exclaimed. "Wh-Why not?!"

"That's my business, and none of yours," Suguha said sharply. Usually she could tolerate her friend's nosiness, but right now it was grating on her nerves for some reason.

"W-Wait, are you going somewhere with those random wizard guys?!" Nagata said helplessly.

"Yeah," Suguha said crisply. "I promised them I'd get them to the Tower of Heaven."

"B-But… That's such a long way away…" he whined. "You never took me up on my offer to take you… And… Wait, that means you all will be… sleeping together…!"

That was the last straw. "Don't get any weird ideas about it, you creep!" Suguha shouted as she darted forward and rammed her kendo pack into Nagata's stomach, causing him to groan loudly and double over in pain. "We're going as a party, and that's it!"

"Ow…" Nagata moaned as she left him lying on the pavement.

* * *

Suguha made it back to a quiet home at five until three. Normally she would have gone to check on Kazuto and Michael after coming home so late, but she didn't hear them. She guessed that they were probably visiting their friends in the hospital, which was just fine for right now. It would save her the trouble of trying to explain to Michael why she had bailed on their training at the last minute.

She dashed upstairs, changed out her school uniform into some casual clothes, and set up her Amusphere at top speed. She grinned as she felt the cool plastic settled comfortably on her forehead, and felt her heartbeat accelerate. "Link, start!"

* * *

Leafa walked into the dining area of the guild hall to see four figures waiting for her. Two were grinning boys, and the others were a pair of exceeds. "Hey guys!" she waved cheerily as she joined them. "Did I keep you waiting?"

"Nah, not at all," Kirito grinned as he stood in greeting. "Thanks again for doing this."

"No problem," she replied. "I'm looking forward to this little excursion." She smiled shyly at Mataras, who simply returned a head nod in greeting. Then a thought struck her as she looked the two boys up and down. "Uh… By the way, have you guys thought about getting any new gear?"

On instinct, the two boys looked down at their simple clothes, both of them wincing. "Huh…" Kirito said. "I guess we should've thought of that. Let's see, do we even have any money to buy new gear…?" He opened up his menu, scrolled through it a bit, then frowned a little harder.

"What is it, Kirito?" Mataras asked.

"This stuff called jewel…" the boy in black said as he looked up at Leafa. "That's money, right?"

"Yeah," Leafa nodded. "Do you have any?" Mataras looked over his brother's shoulder, and for once, both of his eyebrows went up.

* * *

They spent the next hour wandering from shop to shop, checking out both NPC and player merchandise. Several times, Mataras and Kirito got into an argument about buying swords, to which eventually Mataras gave up on, and Kirito happily bought himself a one-handed straight black sword that he sheathed on his back.

"At least it boosts shadow magic…" Mataras grumbled.

"Is he usually a bad spender like that?" Leafa asked.

"No, unless a good sword is involved," the Fire Dragon Slayer sighed. "Then he'll pay through the nose for it."

"I can hear you, ya know…" Kirito grumbled.

"He knows," Litrosh grinned. "He just doesn't care."

* * *

After a while, the two of them finally got around to purchasing some proper wizard's combat clothing. The clothes they purchased were identical in shape and size, but the color theme was different for the two of them, with Kirito being black and silver trim and Mataras with red as the primary color, lined with black trim.

The shirt was short-sleeved with light armor that rested on the upper part of the chest and over the shoulders. The shirts also each had a coattail that reached down to their ankles. Their forearms were protected by gauntlets that came up to their elbows. The pants were simple enough, but they both had metal knee guards and metal-plated boots made of a light-yet-strong material that would allow for easy movement. All of their equipment boosted their respective magic powers, though Mataras declined getting a sword, unlike his brother.

Once it was all settled, Leafa made a request. "Hey guys, do you mind if we head back to the guild hall real quick? I wanna let Master know that I'm going out for a few days."

Mataras and Kirito shared a quick look before nodding their agreement. "Of course," Mataras said. "It's only polite." And so they headed back together.

* * *

They were met by a girl with white hair and a kind face at the guild's bar, whom Leafa greeted with a friendly smile. "Hey, Mira," she said cheerfully. "Do you know if Master Makarov is in?"

"No, he left this morning to go meet with Lamia Scale," Mira smiled. "He took Gray, Elfman, Brandon, and Erza with him. Did you need help with something?" Leafa knew that those four wizards were top contenders for the title of Fairy Tail's strongest wizard- though she suspected that no one had ever seen the full extent of Brandon's magic power.

"Actually, I just wanted to let him know that I'll be taking a leave of absence for a few days," Leafa replied. "These guys need help with an unofficial quest, so I volunteered to help 'em out."

"Okay, I'll let the master know when he gets back," Mira said understandingly. "I hope you'll be safe, okay Leafa?"

"She'll be safe," Mataras said firmly. "I give my word that she won't be harmed, on my honor." Mira smiled brightly while Leafa flushed slightly at his words. Litrosh, Yui and Kirito all grinned at the two of them, unnoticed by the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Thank you, sir," Mira said politely. "Safe travels, okay?"

"Yeah," Kirito grinned. "We'll bring her back as soon as we're done, safe and sound."

"What do ya mean, when she gets back?" a deep, masculine voice said from behind them. The three of them turned quickly to see a group of four wizards standing a few feet away. The one that had spoken was tall, easily five or six inches taller than Mataras, the tallest in the group. He had yellow-blond hair, with dark blue-green eyes, and was heavily muscled, but even without that trait, he would have radiated raw power. His right eye also had a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt over it. His clothing consisted of black pants and an overcoat, though his shirt was royal purple.

His companions numbered three, two men and one woman. One had his face hidden behind a knight's mask with a purple plume on the back of it, and he was wearing a blue cloak. His most prominent feature was his wide mouth, though that may have garnered the most attention because very little of the rest of him was visible. His expression- what was visible- was a smug one.

The other man had long, flowing green hair that covered his right eye, though the visible one was a lighter blue, He was dressed in red, with a rapier sword on his waist with the Fairy Tail emblem on it. He was of grim countenance, and his every move seemed cautious and deliberate.

The woman was dressed the least, which Mataras frowned at. He had never been approving of women that partially revealed their assets, and her green dress was pushing things in his opinion. She had brown hair that fell down to her back and brown eyes framed by glasses. Like the masked man, her expression was one of arrogance.

Mataras and Kirito immediately had a bad feeling about them.

"Leafa, are you ditching Fairy Tail?" the biggest one demanded.

"No, I'm just going to be away for a few days," Leafa replied sharply. "Is that a problem, Laxus?" She seemed wary of the group, despite her sharp tone.

"You can't just shirk your guild duties to go and play," Laxus growled. "Especially with freelancers like them."

"I can do what I want, when I want," Leafa snapped. "Besides, it's not like I'm part of your Thunder Legion. Why should you care if I stay or go?"

"I think what Laxus is trying to get at is that if we simply allow our wizards to run about all they like, as it could cause disorder in the guild," the green-haired man said smoothly, in a calm voice. "We simply can't have that."

Leafa's expression became a crestfallen one. She had hoped to avoid this- Laxus and his friends were notorious for wanting Fairy Tail to be the strongest guild in the game, and they were fairly harsh with people that left, despite Makarov's warnings to them about being kinder to other players.

"But…" she tried to come up with an excuse to get away, but to no avail.

"Guild members aren't tools," Kirito said as he stepped forward, surprising everyone except Mataras and the exceeds.

"What'd you say to me?" Laxus rumbled, his voice angry.

"You heard him," Mataras growled back. "Guild mates aren't meant to be at your beck and call whenever you so choose. They're people, with free will of their own. And you don't have the right to order them about."

"You tryin' to pick a fight with the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail?" Laxus said, his eyes widening, and teeth grinding.

"Whoa, baby," the masked wizard grinned. "Looks like we just might have a brawl on our hands. This could rock!"

"If these unmarked freelancers want to pick a fight, they'll have to fight the Thunder Legion," the woman said with a smirk. "No one's ever beaten us, just so you know."

"I could say the same," Mataras smiled back coldly. "Bring it on, if you really want to suffer humiliation in front of your guild mates." He gestured casually around the room, directing the others' attention to the other wizards in the hall, who were looking on with tense curiosity.

"Laxus, perhaps we shouldn't," the green-haired one said quietly. "If we pick a fight here, it will only cause problems for us, and the guild as a whole."

Laxus growled wordlessly as Mataras regarded him with a wolf's smile. "Fine," he snarled as he turned around. "Leafa, you can forget that chance at an S-class promotion. In fact, if I were you, I'd stay wherever you're going. Cos when if come back, things'll be harder for you, I promise that."

Leafa's face fell even further, and her shoulders sagged a bit. She rubbed her pink Fairy Tail brand as if to reassure herself that it was still there. As soon as the Thunder Legion was gone, Mira said, "Don't worry too much, Leafa. Laxus isn't the one that picks out the S-class wizard candidates- only Master can do that."

"Yeah, but…" Leafa sighed. "I just… I came in here to have fun… I never thought that people could be so cruel…" Tears pooled in her eyes, and she sniffed miserably. Surprisingly to Kirito, it was Mataras that moved to comfort her.

The blond girl blushed as Mataras placed an encouraging hand her shoulder and said, "There is always something good to be found in the world around you. If you can't find it in the current environment, it's best just to move on and find the light elsewhere."

 _Just who is this guy?_ She wondered silently as he took his hand off her shoulder. _He's so rough with his enemies, but so kind to Kirito and me… He's got quite the contrast inside him…_

"Hey, Leafa," one of the male wizards said as he stood up from his table. "Laxus might not care, but I know a lot of us consider you a friend."

"His opinion counts for jack in my book," said another with a bright red bow tie. "When you come back, you'll have your home waiting for you." And he raised his fist above his head, pointing with his first finger and thumb towards the ceiling. Soon, several others were doing the same, until everyone in the guild was making the sign.

Mataras and Kirito were at a loss for what the signal meant, but it made Leafa smile and dash the tears from her eyes. She turned to look at the boys and said, "I'm okay now. Let's get going." Turning back to her guild mates, she said, "Thanks, you guys. I'll be back soon."

"Bye, Leafa!" many of them chorused.

"Good luck!" Mira added.

* * *

As they walked through the town to leave, Kirito was the one to ask the question on the minds of his comrades. "Hey Leafa," he said. "What was that sign that everyone made back at the guild hall?"

"You mean the hand over our heads?" Leafa asked back.

"Yeah, that's the one," Kirito nodded.

"Well, I dunno who came up with it, but it's kind of like our guild's promise to one another," Leafa said as she smiled up at the sky. "It means that no matter how far apart we might be, we'll always be watching over each other."

"Sounds like aside from those Thunder Legion fools, Fairy Tail is a nice place to be," Mataras said quietly.

"Everyone there seemed to be happy to be part of the group," Yui commented.

"I agree," Litrosh said. "It nearly reminded me of the old times… Though their bond didn't seem as strong as that of our old guild."

"You guys were in a guild?" Leafa said, looking over at Kirito and Mataras with surprise. She had assumed that it was only the two of them that played together, but it seemed that she had been wrong.

Kirito and Mataras looked at one another quickly, unsure of how much they should reveal about their past. Finally, Kirito said, "Yeah, we were in a guild once… Just four people, but we were… pretty tight." His mind flashed back to memories of his time spent with Sachi and Asuna, and his eyes stung a bit.

Leafa saw that it seemed to be a sensitive subject for the two boys, so she decided to stifle her curiosity about that for the moment. Instead, she turned to Mataras and said, "So, what's bothering you? You've been pretty quiet for a while."

"Something's always bothering him," Kirito joked. "Though she is right. What's bugging you, dude?"

"Hmm…" Mataras mused. "The Thunder Legion… I know their voices."

Kirito's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He knew from experience just how sharp Mataras' memory was when it came to recalling the voices and appearances of people that held his interest. "Are they from the old game?" he asked.

"No…" Mataras said with a frown. "That was my first thought, but the timeline doesn't match up… At least, I don't think it does." He turned to Leafa and asked, "How long have Laxus and his friends been around?"

"Since before I started playing, which was about a year ago," Leafa recalled. "They've always been a big deal in Fairy Tail- Laxus is supposedly Master Makarov's grandson."

"IRL?" Kirito asked.

"I think so," Leafa nodded. "But you know nobody talks about the real world in here."

"Aye," Mataras nodded. "So they couldn't be from our shared past… Just mine." He frowned again. The memory was just out of his reach, hidden by the fog of the past. He had to have known them from before Sword Art Online… But who and how?

They were nearly to the outskirts of Magnolia when they heard a familiar voice calling out. " _Leafa_!" The girl groaned to herself and turned around with the others to see Recon running up to catch up to them.

"Recon?" she asked as soon as he stopped. "What're you doing here?"

"You left without saying anything!" he pouted.

"Actually, she kinda did…" Kirito said.

"Well I wasn't there!" he said with a hurt expression.

"Well, you're here now," she said, exasperated. "So what is it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Recon said. "I came to tell you that my magic is yours to command!" Mataras planted his palm on his face. Then Recon added, "Er, that is… I would go with you…"

"But…?" Mataras prompted.

"But there's something I need to investigate," Recon admitted, looking over his shoulder as if afraid of eavesdroppers. "I don't have any solid proof yet, but I can't ignore this." He looked up at Mataras and Kirito to say, "Hey guys. Leafa has a bad habit of getting herself in trouble, so keep her out of trouble, okay?"

Kirito grinned and extended a fist, which Recon bumped as the Shadow Dragon Slayer said, "We'll keep her safe, don't worry."

"Aye," Litrosh grinned as he floated up to look Recon in the eye. "Mataras is thus far undefeated, and I would bet any money I had that he won't allow that record to fall." Mataras nodded as he cracked his knuckles and gave Recon a fierce grin.

"Okay," Recon nodded as he stepped closer to Mataras. "But just so we're clear, Leafa is my- _Ow!_ " The sharp cry was drawn out by Leafa, who stomped on Recon's foot, none too gently.

He kept on whining as she said, "We'll be out in the field for a while, so just message me if anything comes up." Then she turned on her heel to walk away with Mataras being grabbed by the arm, much to his protest.

"Oei!" he said. "Nobody pulls me around like that!" She ignored him and kept dragging, being careful not to let him see her reddened face.

"Good luck, Recon," Kirito grinned as he waved goodbye and went to follow them.

"Bye…" he said as he looked after them all sadly.

* * *

"So let me get something straight," Mataras said once he had gotten free of Leafa's grip. "In real life, he's your friend?" Kirito knew that he could have easily yanked his arm out of her grasp, but he might have hurt her with his brute strength. But he had come a long way from his early days in Aincrad, so he restrained himself.

"Yeah, something like that," Leafa admitted. Nagata was the one who had introduced her to and helped her survive in IMO, so she tolerated his eccentrics and obvious crush.

"Uh huh…" Kirito grinned mischievously.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Leafa demanded.

"Nothing," Kirito said with the same grin. "Just a little jealous is all."

"Wait, what are you jealous of?" Mataras demanded.

"It's nice to have a friend like that," Kirito said as he elbowed his brother. "One that doesn't take every opportunity to put his comrades down."

"Hey, I've got it where it counts," Mataras protested. "You can't argue that."

"True," Kirito sighed.

"Now that person's feelings were pretty clear," Yui said as she floated alongside the others. "He likes you a lot, Leafa. Do you feel the same way about him?"

Leafa's eyes darted over to see Mataras for a second before, she flushed red and said, "I-I don't know!" And she walked forward a few paces to outdistance them. As she did, she looked back at the tall buildings of Magnolia one last time, a bit of sadness in her heart as she walked away from the place she had called her virtual home for nearly a year.

Then she lowered her gaze to see Kirito and Mataras grinning at her, one friendly and the other fierce. The exceeds were also smiling at her, and she couldn't help but smile back at them as she said, "Come on you guys! There's a lake I wanna make it to before it gets dark!" And she took off at a run, the others not far behind.

* * *

It wasn't too long before they encountered mobs, though. Leafa went to reach in her pouch to get her wizard equipment, but Mataras and Kirito were already moving at top speed to engage some gorilla-like monsters called Vulcans.

"Take point!" Mataras said as they drew close, and Kirito darted forward, his sword in hand.

With his left hand drawn back, he shouted, " _Shadow Dragon CRUSHING FANG!"_ He slammed the Vulcan with a palm-handed technique, sending it reeling before following up with a blow from his sword that slashed into its chest.

Whether it was the magic or the sword blow, the Vulcan was killed on the spot, much to Leafa's surprise. _It'd have taken Recon and me half a minute to kill one of those, not half a second!_

"Switch!" Kirito shouted as he leaped back to avoid being pulverized by another one of the Vulcan's massive arms. Mataras leaped up high in the air as he began an incantation.

" _Fire Dragon WING ATTACK!"_ he roared as he lifted his arms above his head, and tendrils of fire sprang from his fists. Coming down hard, he slammed the whips into the mobs, striking them with brutal force and felling them both with one strike.

"Nice one!" Kirito grinned as he slammed fists with Mataras, who was also smiling. "This new gear rocks."

"I agree," Mataras nodded. "I'm liking this magic more than I expected if I'm being honest."

"Mataras, you're nothing if not brutally honest," Kirito chuckled.

"Alright, I left myself open for that," Mataras conceded. Looking back at Leafa, who was just looking at them both in awe, he said, "Sorry, Leafa. Did you want the next batch?"

"N-No, I'm good," she stammered. _These guys might be even stronger than the Thunder Legion!_ She shook her head to clear it and said, "C'mon guys. Let's get moving again. No telling when we might run into more Vulcans."

* * *

A few hours- and many dead mobs- later, the group had reached the lake Leafa had talked about. The whole time, she only used her magic once, and it was definitely one that surprised her comrades. Using a golden key on her belt, she summoned a celestial spirit called Cancer, one of the twelve zodiac spirits in the game, and a one-of-a-kind.

He wielded a pair of scissors that Kirito and Mataras initially laughed at- until they saw that the scissors were more than capable of inflicting serious damage on the monsters they fought against. Leafa explained that she actually had five of the twelve zodiac keys, which were the most powerful spirits in the game, and four silver keys, which were not exactly fighters, though they had their functions.

Of the silver keys, she had a dog spirit named Plu, a musician, a clock spirit capable of shielding her from all sorts of harm, and a cross-shaped historian sprit. The golden keys were Cancer the Crab, Taros the Bull, Aquarius the Mermaid, Virgo the Maiden, and Sagittarius the Centaur-Archer.

As soon as they reached the lake, Leafa turned to her comrades and said, "You guys tired yet?" She said with a bit of a challenge in her tone and grin, interested to see their reaction.

"Not even," Mataras said, a spark in his eyes as he recognized the challenge. "Why, are you ready to drop out?"

"Yeah, we're used to way harder conditions than this," Kirito added as he stretched while looking out at the lake. "We're good to go for a while."

"Cool," Leafa grinned. "But since it's dinnertime in the real world, do you want to take turns logging out to eat?"

"Sounds good to me," Kirito nodded. "How about you go first? We'll stay here and guard your avatar for you." In IMO, you couldn't log out in the field without being sent back to your last save point unless someone was there to guard your avatar until you returned.

"Okay," Leafa nodded. "I'll try to be quick, I shouldn't be more than thirty minutes or so. Sound okay?"

"Go on," Mataras nodded. "We'll keep you safe." His words made Leafa blush, so she turned around, sat down on the edge of the lake and logged herself out. She slumped as if asleep while Kirito drew his sword and Mataras had Litrosh fly overhead to keep an eye out for any mobs or players.

After Litrosh was soaring above, Kirito said to his brother, "So we're not gonna let her know about SAO, huh?"

"No," Mataras said firmly. "She doesn't need to shoulder our burdens any more than she already is. Unless you had different thoughts?"

"Nah, I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page," Kirito replied.

"Good, then," Mataras muttered. "Although…"

"What is it? See something?"

"No," Mataras shook his head. "Remember how earlier I said that I recognized Laxus' voice, as well as his comrades?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Kirito asked. "Did you remember who it was?"

"No, but I only told half of the truth at the time," Mataras admitted. "Leafa's voice… It's also familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but she's very familiar."

"Another SAO player, maybe?" Kirito guessed. "No, wait. That doesn't make sense, cos she said she's been in here for almost a year, or somethin' like that, right?"

"My thoughts exactly," Mataras nodded. "Perhaps she was one of the people we were working with during rehabilitation…"

"That might make sense," Kirito agreed. "But why does it even matter?"

"Eh…" Mataras shrugged. "I don't like not knowing things."

"Oh, are curious if she's a hot nur-" His snarky comment was cut off by a Fire Dragon Talon that smashed into his face, sending him flying. Mataras' face was nearly as red as his armor as Kirito got up with a groan.

"You know I hate it when you do that!" Mataras growled sharply. "For the last time, A; stop trying to ask me about my love life. B; I don't like Leafa like that!"

"Jeez…" Kirito rubbed his jaw, which had a burn mark on it. "Pretty sure I'm gonna feel that one IRL…" Looking up at Mataras, who was calming down, Kirito said, "You know, I don't think you'd be this defensive about it if I wasn't right." He added a slight grin to show that he held no ill will towards Mataras for the attack- mostly because he felt like that was something Klein would say, and Mataras didn't need that.

"Rrgh…" Mataras growled wordlessly.

"Maybe Mataras already has feelings for somebody else?" Litrosh said as he floated down.

"I told you to keep a lookout," Mataras said with a frown.

"I saw you strike Kirito, and I guessed at what," Litrosh grinned. "This seemed more important. Besides, who'd be foolish enough to attack two Dragon Slayers?"

"He's got a point, on both accounts," Kirito said as he walked back up to Mataras. "So, is he right, or not?"

"He's…" Mataras was tempted to lie, but it wasn't in his nature to lie to any of the Moonlit Black Cats. To anyone else, he would have convinced them to drop the subject in his usual way, but he decided that he owed Kirito at least a brief explanation. "All right- he's not wrong…"

"Ha!" Litrosh crowed.

"So who is it?" Yui asked innocently.

Here was where Mataras was in a serious jam. He wanted to confess to Kirito, but the problem was that one, the girl he was becoming infatuated with was his best friend's sister- not to mention his _younger_ sister- and two, he was living under the same roof as her. But at the same time, he couldn't outright lie to Kirito.

"I… can't tell you," he finally admitted. "I'm not even sure that it would even work out between us, nor do I know if she returns the feelings."

"Why couldn't it work out?" Kirito asked.

"Because she's… close to someone else," Mataras said after a moment.

"But if love is real between two people, it always finds a way- just look at Mommy and Daddy," Yui countered. "Why can't this be the same?"

"I can't answer that," Mataras said, eyes downcast.

"Is it Asuna?" Kirito's voice was unusually hard.

"What?!" Mataras' eyes shot up to meet Kirito's in a panic. "No, of course not! Kirito, you should know better than to ask me that! You know that in my book, if a woman is engaged or married, she's no longer eligible! Besides, I never felt that way about her in the slightest!"

"Just needed to make sure," Kirito grinned, and Mataras heaved a sigh of relief. "But it's someone I know, isn't it?"

Mataras froze again, unsure of what to say. It was strange for him, this fear of Kirito's anger. This was his brother in all but blood, the young man that had saved his life hundreds of times, and the one that had helped him save their sister, Sachi. _I suppose therein lies my fear_ , he reasoned. _If I anger him with this revelation… I don't want to lose my brother._

Seeing the different emotions warring on Mataras' face, Kirito looked away at the sky and said, "You know, Mataras… If it was a girl I knew, I'd be happy for her." Mataras looked at him with a question in his bearing, so Kirito added, "I mean, I'd know that she'd be in good hands. You always take care of people you care about, even if it kills you- just don't actually do that again- and you never miss out on a chance to help people if you can."

"Not when you first met me," Mataras sighed.

"But this isn't when I first met you," Kirito said as he looked back at Mataras. "This is now, today, and you're not the same guy I first partied up with. Yeah, you've got your problems still, but I think I can say you're a cool guy."

"I wouldn't go that far," Mataras said, finally cracking a small smile. "I'll make a deal with you, Kirito. I'll tell you who it is on two conditions."

"Which are?"

"One, stop pestering me about Leafa, because it won't happen," Mataras said as he raised one finger. When he raised the second finger, he added, "And you have to wait until I know that this girl reciprocates my feelings."

"Why do I have to wait until she says yes?" Kirito asked.

"Because if she doesn't return the feelings, I don't want you trying to influence her against her will," Mataras said solemnly. "And even more importantly, I don't want your relationship with her to be strained on my account. If she tells you about it, fine then, but I won't be responsible for that."

Kirito thought about it, then he reached out to shake hands with Mataras. "Sounds good to me," he said with his confident grin. "Hope she says yes, dude."

"Me too," Mataras sighed. "Me too…" And nothing further was said between the two of them on the subject.

* * *

In the real world, Suguha had just finished eating and making dinner for Michael and Kazuto. When she asked at their door if they wanted dinner, she received no response. Assuming that they were asleep, she had moved on with her evening routine.

While in the shower, she fell deep in thought about her current situation in Inner Magic Online. _I'm excited to go back there,_ she thought finally. _It's not that I'm love with Mataras or anything like that… Not even that I have new friends to go on adventures with… I'm just excited that I get to go new places in Fiore._

Leastways, that what she told herself. Seeing her expression in the mirror didn't help reinforce those thoughts in the slightest.

* * *

Mataras was in the middle of practicing fighting techniques with Litrosh carrying him in case there was a need for aerial combat when Leafa stirred awake. Kirito was sitting beside her, nibbling on some kind of candy, and he greeted her with a grin.

"Hey there," she said as she straightened up. She looked at the fading burn mark on his face with concern. "Did any monsters come around while I was out?"

"Just that one," Kirito pointed up at Mataras, who was descending quickly.

"He did that?" Leafa gasped.

"I deserved it," Kirito grinned. "Mataras doesn't whack his friends unless they really ask for it, so don't worry about it."

"Well… What'd you ask him about?"

"Nothing that's a problem anymore," Kirito said as Mataras landed. Turning to his brother, he said, "Alright, my turn. I'll make it quick."

"Hey, I called dibs!" Mataras growled. "No one argues with the universal law of calling dibs!"

"Okay, okay," Kirito said with another one of his smiles. "I was just kiddin."

"Good to know," Mataras said as he sat down and logged out like Leafa had earlier. As soon as he slumped down in the logout position, Leafa heaved a sigh of relief.

"Everything okay?" Kirito asked.

"Well…" Leafa hesitated. "I know we're not really supposed to do this, but… Could you tell me why Mataras is so… I dunno… Fired up about everything he does?"

"That's a good question," Kirito grinned good-naturedly. "Truth is, I'm still trying to figure part of that out, and I've known the guy for years."

"But wait, you called him 'brother', didn't you?" Leafa said with a frown. "Aren't you related or something?"

"Nah, not really," Kirito admitted. "But I'd say that I'm the person he trusts most in the world right now. He's not an open person, as you noticed, but all you need to really know about his is that he's suffered a lot… It's a miracle he's still around, really. But for all of that, he watches out for his friends, no matter what."

"So he's a good guy, then?" Leafa asked.

"One of the best," Kirito grinned.

"You can say that again," Litrosh said as he floated down from above again.

"Huh?!" Leafa gasped. "You can move around without your master?!"

"I'd call him my boss more than my master," Litrosh chuckled. "And of course I can- I'm more of a person than some people are."

"Huh…?" Leafa was confused. "So wait… Did he set you that way, or…?"

"Nah, he didn't do anything to Litrosh's settings," Kirito answered. "He's just that way on his own."

"R-Right…" Leafa said, still feeling like she wasn't getting the full picture. "And is Yui like that too…?"

"Uh huh!" Yui said cheerily. "Except that Kirito isn't my boss, he's my daddy!"

"Your what?!"

"Eh heh…" Kirito said as he rubbed his neck, embarrassed. "Yeah… Long story short, I saved her a while back, and I decided to adopt her. Actually, she started calling me 'daddy' before I could figure her out, and now…" He shrugged. "Here we are."

"Man, you guys are weird…" Leafa sighed. "I guess I'm not getting a straight answer from either of you, am I?"

"Sorry, guess I've been around Mataras too long," Kirito grinned.

"Someone call my name?"

"Gah!" Leafa shrieked in surprise as Mataras spoke and got to his feet.

"Hey bro," Kirito said as Mataras cricked his back. "You even bother to eat your food, or d'ya just inhale it?"

"There was some out on the table," Mataras shrugged. "I left a bit for you if you want it."

"Yeah, sounds good," Kirito nodded. "See you guys in a bit." And he logged out. True to his word, Yui did not vanish as soon as he left the virtual world.

Mataras immediately moved to stand by the lake with a fierce grin on his face. Seeing the look, Leafa asked, "So… what's up?"

"I want to try something," the boy said as he took a wide stance and breathed in deeply.

"Wait, what're you doing?!" Leafa asked, eyes wide.

"Testing out my maximum firing range," Mataras said. Then he put both hands in front of his mouth as he shouted, " _Fire Dragon ROAR!"_ The flames shot forth from his mouth, funneled through his hands, and shot out a good hundred yards over the water, the magic causing ripples to emanate from where the flames nearly touched the surface.

Leafa waited until he was done to say, "You Dragon Slayers are on a whole different level than most wizards I've met. You might even be as strong as Laxus."

"Pfft," Mataras scoffed. "That one struck me as more talk than power."

"Well, maybe that's true," Leafa nodded. "But he _is_ and S-class wizard, so he's pretty powerful. And he's been playing this game for a long time. Not to mention, he's pretty much mastered lightning magic."

"Lightning, eh?" Mataras mused. "The cold-blooded brother of fire… though he strikes me as hot-headed."

"Says you?" Leafa chuckled a bit, moving closer to Mataras, who eyed her uneasily.

"Aye, says me," he replied. "I may be quick to anger, but he looks like a thunderstorm ready to let loose."

"Yeah, that's true," Leafa sighed. "He's always been that way, ever since he joined Fairy Tail. Truth is, he wants to run the guild, but Master says he's not ready yet."

"I imagine there's some bitterness there," Mataras chuckled.

"You know it," Leafa nodded. "Still, he hasn't actually done anything to hurt the guild, and he's pretty good at hunting down criminal guilds."

"Now that last one sounds like something I could get behind," Mataras said quietly, though he neglected to repeat himself when Leafa asked him to repeat himself.

"Man, you don't like-" She was cut off when Mataras stuck something in her open mouth with an evil grin. She bit on it instinctively, then immediately wished she hadn't. Whatever it was, the spiciness level was way beyond her ability to handle, and she spat it out with a loud cry.

"Oops, I thought you'd like that stick in your business," he chuckled mercilessly.

"I oughta… sick Taros on you…" she gasped in between coughs.

"What's going on?" Kirito asked as he got up.

"Leafa tried something a little too hot to handle," Mataras grinned.

"That was all you!" she protested, still feeling like her mouth was on fire.

"You gave her one of my candies?" Kirito chuckled as he bit down on one. "Nice."

"That was mean!" Yui said, while Litrosh laughed at the sight.

"Still funny," Kirito said as he hi-fived his brother. Mataras looked as though he were about to speak, but then he tensed and his brow bent downward. He started sniffing at the air, leading Kirito to ask, "What's happening?"

"Not sure…" Mataras said quietly. "I have an uneasy feeling about something… But my dragon sense of smell isn't picking up on anything… Litrosh, are we alone out here?"

"Maybe you're sensing that I'm about to thrash you," Leafa said sourly, but both ignored her, which made her wonder if something was actually wrong.

"Aye," the blue cat nodded. "I'm not picking up any player ID's."

"Hmm…" Mataras frowned.

"Well…" Kirito said. "Regardless, we should get going. Leafa, how long until we're out of the forest?"

"Not long, she admitted. "There's a town with a friendly guild not too far from here. They're called Lamia Scale, and our master is actually going to meet with them tonight."

"Will he be in town?" Kirito asked. "I might actually like to meet him."

"Nah, it's not happening in town," Leafa said with a shake of her head. "And I can't tell you where it's at, cos you're not in Fairy Tail. Uh, no offense."

"None taken," Kirito grinned, well aware of how secretive guilds liked to be. "Well, let's get going." And they turned to leave the lake behind. They never saw the burning eyes locked on their backs, ready to resume the hunt.

* * *

 **Sachi: Looks like they're being followed.**

 **Asuna: Yup.**

 **Sachi: Think we'll see an actual fight next chapter?**

 **Asuna: I'd bet my life savings on it.**

 **Sachi: Cool- I think some of our readers are starting to wonder if we'd ever get another good action scene.**

 **Asuna: Oh come on. We all know that if nothing else, Mataras can do two things- one, leave us on a cliffhanger, and two, produce a good fight scene to make up for it.**

 **Sachi: I guess that's true.**

 **Asuna: Until next time, have a good one, guys!**


	21. Twin Dragon Slayers

**A/N: Hey guys! Lots of new things happening for me, like a new job and planning for a wedding next year, but I'm still doing my best to keep up the writing for all of you! Hope you enjoy this new chapter, because I sure did! And be sure to leave a review with thoughts/requests.**

* * *

Twin Dragon Slayers

"How far until we make it to the next town?" Kirito asked as they walked through a tunnel that led through a small mountain range.

"We should be there in about fifteen minutes," Leafa answered. She was in the middle of the group, with Mataras leading the way with a flame in hand, and Kirito staying in the rear. "Why? Do you have something going on IRL?"

"Nah, just wondering," the Shadow Dragon Slayer shrugged.

"Hey, hold on a sec, guys," Leafa said as she accessed her menu. "Someone just messaged me- probably Recon. I think it's nothing, but I'll check anyways…" She opened the message and read aloud, "I was right, be careful. L… Weird, that's it. But what does he mean by 'L'? Lucy… Levin… Lan… Oh, crap."

"What is it?" Kirito asked with a worried frown.

"Uh, it's nothing!" Leafa said as she shut down the message.

Mataras knew she was lying- her expression was a pretty rattled one. But before he could press her for answers, Yui and Litrosh suddenly displayed expressions of alarm. "Daddy!" Yui gasped. "I'm picking up movement behind us!"

"Monsters?" he asked as he looked behind them.

"Uh-uh," Litrosh said with a frown. "Players- at least a dozen of them."

"That's a pretty big party," Mataras muttered. "And by the way, told you so."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Leafa said worriedly. "We should hide."

"No time for that," Mataras said firmly. Our best chance is to make it to the town, and to a safe zone."

"Wait, you of all people are suggesting a retreat?" Kirito scoffed.

"Make your jokes later," Mataras growled. "I say let's move. None of us knows illusion magic, so hiding isn't a viable option. And if it really comes down to a fight, I'd prefer more space to move."

"All right, good point," Kirito nodded. "Let's get a move on." And they took off at a run, with the exceeds flying right beside them.

"They'll be coming into firing range any moment now," Litrosh reported.

"We're nearly out," Leafa said as the light of the exit drew close. Less than a minute later, they were out in the open, and the town was in sight. "All right!" She cheered. "We're gonna make it!"

But they had not made it half a mile when a massive wall of stone rose up between them and their goal, stretching at least a half-mile in either direction. It was too smooth to climb, and too wide to go around.

"Can we fly up?" Kirito asked.

"We can only carry one person each," Litrosh muttered. "And If I use my battle form to carry two of you, I'll run out of magic before we get to the top."

"So we fight," Mataras snarled as they turned to face the enemy, who had formed into rows of three, making four rows total. "And we make sure that they regret it."

"Or we try this!" Kirito grinned as he faced the wall. " _Shadow Dragon WAXING FLASH!"_ His attack smashed into the wall, but all it did was leave a few marks. "Huh?!"

"To withstand that kind of attack…" Leafa breathed. "They must have at least two wizards with maxed out earth magic!"

"You couldn't have told me that before?" Kirito muttered as he too, turned to face their enemies.

"I didn't know! It's not my fault you're in a hurry!"

"Enough!" Mataras snapped, his eyes burning as he stared down his opponents. "I have a feeling things are about to get heated." Sure enough, a number of spells were on their way, each one different in their element.

" _Fire Dragon WING ATTACK!"_ Mataras' spell smashed into the oncoming attacks, neutralizing them, much to the awe of Leafa and the mercenaries. "Kirito, switch!"

" _Shadow Dragon ROAR!"_ the black-haired boy shouted as he moved forward. The players in the back quickly erected a barrier that was just enough to block the spell. "Aw, come on!"

"Let me try," Leafa said as she pulled out one of her golden keys. "Open! Gate of the Golden Bull: Taros!" A magic circle appeared before her, and out popped a bipedal bull armed with a massive axe. "Sic 'em!" she commanded.

"For a smokin' hot lady like you, I'd jump over the moooooon!" the bull cried as her rushed forward to engage the enemy. Just before he could cut them in half with one swipe though, some of the middling wizards lashed out with a mixture of fire and wind, flinging him back. This was followed by a lightning blast that finished it off.

"Well, that wasn't very helpful," Mataras muttered. "Although…" He eyed the fire wizard with a gleam in his eye. "Time to get up close and personal." He shot forward, fire in his fists and a fierce grin on his face. Kirito immediate followed him, already aware of his brother's plan.

"Are they crazy?!" Leafa gasped as she put away her key.

"Let them be," Litrosh assured her. "They will be fine."

Together, the dragon slayers slammed into the front line, using melee techniques to decimate them before they could erect another wall. It seemed that despite their skill with earth magic, their HP stat wasn't all that great.

However, they were left open to an immediate collective counterattack. Kirito went flying back, but Mataras opened his mouth wide and inhaled the flames, replenishing his energy reserves. That is until he was smashed by a water blast that made him sprawl in the dust next to Kirito, only a few yards away from Leafa. Both boys were a quarter down on health.

At this rate, with the level of skill that these wizards were displaying… "Guys, let's just give it up!" she called. "We'll just lose a few hours- its' okay!" She was about to add to her plea, but both boys shot up to their feet and looked back at her with hard eyes.

"No way!" Kirito called back.

"As long as we draw breath…" Mataras seethed. "We will not allow our party members to die- never again will we endure that!" And he whipped his gaze back to the group of enemy mages in unison with Kirito. Letting out wordless bellows, they darted forward again, steely determination in Kirito's eyes, and fury in Mataras'.

The earth wizards erected another barrier, fear and uncertainty in their expressions as the two boys ran at them, one looking like a demon on the hunt and the other like an executioner come to collect. The barrier they set up was smashed to bits, and they went flying backwards. Their friends tried to cover them, but Mataras and Kirito leaped backwards out of the range of their attacks. However, instead of leaping back into the fray, they each took a steady stance.

"This is it!" Litrosh suddenly said to Leafa.

"Use one of your spirits to keep them from reforming their ranks!" Yui added. "This is our only chance!"

"Uh… how will that help?" she asked, even as she reached for another key.

"Just give them enough time!" Litrosh shouted. "Trust them!"

"All right, all right!" Leafa said in surrender. Extending her key outward, she shouted, "Open! Gate of the Archer: Sagittarius!" And there appeared what to be a man in a horse costume, armed with a large bow.

"Hidey-ho, my lady!" He said as he saluted her. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Hit those guys with everything you got!" Leafa said as she pointed at the enemy wizards. "Keep 'em busy!"

"As you wish!" And he let off a steady stream of arrows that pelted the enemy, distracting them from their main targets for the moment- a massive mistake.

"Now, Daddy!" Yui screamed.

"Go, Mataras!" Litrosh bellowed.

"On it!" they cried in unison, even as they extended fists behind them so that they were facing chest-to-chest while still staring down the disarrayed enemy group. Then massive spheres of shadow and fire erupted from their respective fists, growing larger by the second in perfect sync.

"No way…" Leafa gasped with wide eyes. _Are they trying to pull off a unison raid?!_ She got her answer when the massive spheres swelled up to be the size of a house each- and suddenly vanished, while her own magic was depleted, forcing Sagittarius to vanish. _We failed…_

"Hah!" the man furthest back crowed. "They're all out of magic!"

But before he could rally his men, a small sphere suddenly materialized between the two brothers' now-open hands, a mixture of black and orange. And the wizards were very afraid.

"Did they…? Pull it off?" Leafa gasped, still in awe.

"Nice work!" Litrosh crowed.

"Yay!" Yui cried.

"Retreat!" the leader shouted as they all felt the air ripple with pure magic power. "Get away from that!" But it was too late for them.

" _Dark Fire Dragon BLACK FANG!"_ the brothers roared in unison. An even more massive blast of power than before shot forward as they thrust their fists in front of them in perfect unison, a mix of fire and shadow. It consumed the group nearly in its entirety, just narrowly missing a grunt that had run off to the side before the attack to avoid the arrows shot in his direction. Nothing was left of the enemy wizards, and the mountain face beside them was scorched black where it wasn't glowing from the incredible heat.

Hardly believing her eyes, Leafa ran up to meet the two brothers, who were advancing on the sole survivor. Behind her, the magic-erected barrier crumbled to dust. "Aren't Daddy and Uncle amazing?" Yui giggled as they came close to the others.

Mataras had the survivor by the collar and was ready to take his head off with an Iron Fist attack, but Leafa intervened. "Wait!" she said as she grabbed his shoulder. "We need him alive!"

"Why?" Mataras asked hotly, his warrior blood still running hotly.

"Info," she said as he dropped the man like a sack potatoes. As soon as he had, she stepped on his chest and pulled out her Cancer key. "All right, if you do wanna live, you'll tell us who sent you ass-hats after us."

"No way!" he said defiantly. "Kill me if you want, but I'll never tell!"

"You got it," Mataras snarled as he lit up his fist again.

"Hey, wait a sec," Kirito said as he knelt beside the defeated player. "Maybe we can make a deal." As he faced the bewildered player, he gave him a grin and swiped open his menu to display a number of items and money. "That was a good fight," he said. "You guys had a pretty solid plan, too. If I'd been alone, I wouldn't have lasted a minute against you dorks."

"What're you telling him that for?!" Leafa protested, but Kirito ignored her.

"Here's the thing," he continued. "You see all of this? It's the money and items we got from beating your sorry asses. Just answer a couple of questions, and they could be yours."

The other player's eyes lit up as they widened. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"Totally," Kirito grinned. The other player showed confusion, followed immediately by delight. Leafa looked on with something akin to disgust.

"Men," she huffed.

"It's like they forgot we're here," Yui sighed.

"Oei!" Litrosh and Mataras growled simultaneously.

* * *

"Okay, so this morning I got a text from Jitakasu," the player began. "He's the leader of Phantom Lord's boss raid party." He showed them both his phantom emblem to confirm that he was indeed with the near-criminal guild. "He asked me to meet him in the forest where we started tracking you. He said he needed twelve of us to hunt down three players, which I thought was overkill. Then he told us that you had taken Kagemune, and even crazier, that you were Dragon Slayers."

"Hold," Mataras frowned. "Who is Kagemune?"

"He's the leader of one our guild's team," the young man answered. "Yesterday, he got creamed in a fight and had to retreat. I'm guessing that was you guys."

"Aye," Mataras nodded.

"Hold on," Leafa said with a worried frown. "Why's this Jitakasu guy want us out of the way so bad?"

"The order came from the top, from Master Jose," the other player shrugged. "Somethin' about you guys interfering with the plan."

"Oh? What plan?" Kirito asked.

"Hey, I'm just a grunt," the wizard said with his hands up defensively. "They don't tell me anything. But… I have a feeling that something big is about to go down. This morning, when I logged on, Cobra was talking to the guild master."

"No way…" Leafa's eyes widened. "Not _that_ Cobra? The guy from the Oracion Seis?!"

"I wouldn't have believed it myself if he hadn't had his pet snake," the former enemy replied. "That was him for sure."

"Then… Your master must have hired him to help with the Tower of Heaven quest!" Leafa gasped. But the player's next answer dashed that thought.

"I don't think so," he replied. "Once he was done, he started heading northwest, not east. 'Sides, our guild doesn't have that kind of resources right now."

"Hmm…" both Mataras and Leafa put their hands on their chins, thoughts already racing.

"That's everything I know, I swear," the man said. Looking up at Kirito, he whispered. "You weren't lying about your end of the deal, were ya?"

"Course not," Kirito grinned as he arranged the trade. "I'm a man a my word, partner." The two of them exchanged another pair of grins.

Once it was done, the man took his leave. But he did turn around to say, "You know, you Fairy Tail guys aren't so bad. Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Sure thing," Kirito said as he waved goodbye. "What's your name?"

"Max," he said as he walked off. And that was that.

"So, that spell you two used…" Leafa said as they approached the town entrance. "That was a unison raid, right?"

"A what?" Kirito asked, straight-faced.

"Wait, you don't know what a unison raid is?" she said, not quite sure she believed him.

"Nope," Kirito shrugged. "No clue."

"Then how'd you pull that off?! Wizards have been trying for over a year to get that technique to work, but nobody, not even the wizard saints have done it before!"

"We work together as we always do," Mataras answered. "We've done it in another world many times, and done things that many considered impossible. So why not in this world, too?" His eyes were cast up to the sky, and in them were memories of many battles reflected.

* * *

They reached the town with no further trouble, and Leafa was immediately drawn to a shop that held a silver celestial key. She was about to ask the NPC what the price was when Kirito said, "Hold on, I just remembered something."

"Huh?" Leafa said as she turned back to face him.

"Just before those scum ambushed us, didn't you get a message from your friend?" Mataras reminded her.

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed. "I totally forgot!" She swiped open her menu, and checked her friend's list, whereupon she frowned. "Weird- he's not online."

"Maybe he's asleep?" Kirito suggested. "Why don't you log out and give him a call?"

"Hmm…" She thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I should. I'll be gone only a sec, okay? Guard my body again, okay?"

"Aye," Mataras nodded. "You'll be safe."

"Thanks," she smiled brightly at him. Then she sat down on a bench and logged out.

"Mind if I go get some food?" Kirito asked.

"Didn't we eat just a couple of hours ago?" Mataras sighed.

"Yeah, but I wanna see if this place has anything tasty," Kirito said as he walked off with Yui floating beside him. "I'll be back in five!"

* * *

Five minutes later, two things happened. One, Kirito returned with some kind of meat on a stick, and two, Leafa shot to her feet as she exclaimed, "I gotta go!"

"Huh?" Kirito said, his mouth full.

"What's the matter?" Mataras asked.

"I'm sorry…" Leafa said, her eyes downcast. "But there's something I have to take care of right away. And I don't think I'll be coming back here, either."

"Well then you'd better talk while we run," Mataras said as he stood up with her. "Let's go- lead the way."

"Uh…" Leafa stuttered. "Okay…" Then they were off at a run. Once they were out of town, Leafa started to explain. "Ten minutes from now, Master Makarov and Master Ooba from Lamia Scale are having a meeting near a massive waterfall. They're gonna make a peace treaty where they assault the Tower of Heaven together. Master Jose is sending up a small army to back up Laxus, who hired them and Cobra to stage a coup!"

"Traitor…" Mataras growled.

"Mind if I ask a couple of questions?" Kirito asked.

"Go ahead!"

"First off, who's this Cobra guy? Sounds like bad news."

"He's a member of one of the most powerful criminal guilds in the game," Leafa answered. "The crazy thing is, he didn't show up until about a month ago, but he's crazy strong because of this massive snake he tamed with his magic."

"His familiar is his power then?" Mataras asked.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Okay, second question," Kirito said. "What does Laxus get by staging a coup?"

"If he can kill Master in-game, he'll get his position as guild master," Leafe replied with a worried frown. "And that could spell some serious trouble for Fairy Tail."

"Aren't they related, though?" Mataras asked.

"Nobody's ever confirmed it," Leafa said. "Guys, this isn't your problem, though! It's a Fairy Tail problem! And you don't need to risk your lives over it! Chances are that if we do make it to the meeting, we won't make it out alive, and we'll have to start over from Magnolia again!" Suddenly, she stopped running, and her eyes were downcast. "But, this could work out for you guys…"

"Huh?" Kirito asked. "What do you mean by that?" All four of the former Black Cats stopped running to face the girl.

"You wanna get to the Tower of Heaven," she said. "You might be better off working with Phantom. Part of Laxus' deal with Jose was that he would help fund their next assault on the Tower. You could sign on with them as freelancers… And if you wanted to kill me, you could… I wouldn't hold it against you."

Both brothers were silent for a long moment before the Fire Dragon Slayer spoke. "You might not hold it against us," he said with a hard tone in his voice. "But I would."

"It's just a game in the end, right?" Kirito said. "Anything goes, right? If you wanna kill, you kill. If you wanna steal, you steal. That's how a lot of people think in the virtual world. I even used to think like that."

"But none of that is true," Mataras said as he walked over to Leafa and put a hand on her shoulder with fire in his maroon eyes. "In the virtual world, Kirito helped me learn that there are things you have to protect with your life _because_ it's a virtual world."

"If you let your impulses control you in here, what's to stop them from changing your real life, too?" Kirito added. "Mataras is one that showed me that both player and avatar are intertwined, with just a gateway separating them. They're still the same person, no matter which side of the gate they're on."

"You seem like a good person to me, Leafa," Mataras said. "Even if I don't know your real name, I'm learning more about your character as we travel together. I'd like to call you a friend- and we never attack our friends, no matter the circumstance." Litrosh, Yui, and Kirito all nodded together as Leafa finally looked up at them.

"We couldn't live with ourselves," Kirito said with a gentle smile.

"Kirito…" she said softly. "Mataras…" She put her hand on the one covering her shoulder, causing Mataras to stiffen slightly, but he remained where he was. "Thank you."

"Uh…" Mataras said, not entirely sure of what to say. "I suppose that sounded fairly pretentious, didn't it? My apologies."

"Uh-uh," Leafa smiled. "It was pretty cool."

"Guys, we're kind of on tight schedule, aren't we?" Litrosh reminded them.

"Aw, crap," Kirito said. "Litrosh, Yui, lead the way."

"Better idea," Mataras countered. "Litrosh, fly Leafa. Yui, carry your father, and both of you hit full throttle."

"We're not leaving you behind!" Litrosh snapped.

"Who said you were?" Mataras grinned as he took a running stance, but with both of his fists extended behind his back. He took a deep breath before shouting _"Fire Dragon Dual Iron Fists!"_ Flames shot out of his hands, sending him flying forward and leaving his teammates to gape at him.

"How'd he know that would work?!" Leafa shouted.

"Wonder about it later," Litrosh said as he grabbed her from behind and spread his wings. "Let's catch up first!"

"Let's go at mach speed!" Yui suggested as she did the same with Kirito.

"Did you say- AAAAAAAAAH!" The cry was drawn out of Leafa as they went flying through the air so fast that it seemed to split the wind. Kirito on the other hand let out a wild cry of delight as the wind rushed in his ears.

They soon caught up to Mataras, who looked up at them with his fierce smile. Together, they headed for the waterfalls, where they could already hear the roaring waters, and see Phantom Lord being led by Laxus, the Thunder Legion, and a man accompanied by a massive purple snake.

 _Look out, Laxus,_ Mataras thought. _If I'm right about who you really are, there will be hell to pay._

* * *

 **Sachi: Well, the dynamic duo pull off the impossible again. Why am I not surprised?**

 **Asuna: They are the Red and Black Swordsman, after all. But I think Mataras wanted us to announce something else in this segement instead of focusing on the chapter...?**

 **Sachi: Oh yes! He and a friend of his, JoshthePoser, will be- starting next month- a variation of the versus series on Mataras' YouTube channel. It will be exclusively for the Bionicle universe, and it ought to feature at least one video a month. He wanted us to tell all of you, because if you have any requests for certain match-ups, he'd like to take them under consideration.**

 **Asuna: Gotta say, even though people here came to read about Fairy Tail and SAO, the one's that started out reading the Toa of Aincrad are probably going to be all over this.**

 **Sachi: That's what he's hoping for! Anyways, be sure to leave your requests in either review or PM, and we'll see you all next time!**

 **Asuna: Bye guys!**


	22. Toxic Thunder vs Dark Flames

**A/N: Okay guys, I think it's time for another round of action! I hope you're all fired up, because I sure am!**

 **P.S. Now featuring a minor OC named Brandon, supplied by Naruto Sakura Uzmaki!**

* * *

Toxic Thunder vs. Dark Flames

Makarov, the elderly master of Fairy Tail, was at a loss for words. He was simply so outraged that words failed him. There, standing among the members of Phantom Lord, backed by a member of the Oracion Seis, was his grandson, Laxus, and the Thunder Legion. And worst of all, he was smiling like it was all some kind of joke.

"Master, should I take them out?" Brandon, one of Makarov's elite wizards leaned over to ask the question quietly. Makarov considered it for a moment before shaking his head.

"I know your power," he replied gravely. "But I doubt that even all of us can take out the Thunder Legion, Cobra, and Phantom Lord's top wizards."

"But what about Fairy Law?" Brandon's voice was lower than a whisper.

"Two things wrong with that," Cobra suddenly interjected, startling the two wizards. He wiggled his large, pointy ears as he added, "That spell automatically targets people that aren't a member of the caster's guild, so while it'd take me and Phantom down, it won't hurt Laxus or his pals. But it'd definitely do some damage to Lamia Scale, wouldn't it, Makarov?"

"Rrrgh…" the old man growled angrily, cursing himself for forgetting that one of Cobra's talents was an incredible sense of hearing. "Unfortunately, he is correct. That spell would do more harm than good."

"Enough with the chit-chat," Laxus declared as he stepped forward. "You see the power I've got backing me. Hand over the guild before somebody gets hurt."

"You dare betray the master's trust?!" Erza, another one of Makarov's strongest wizards shouted at him.

"Makarov, what is the meaning of this?" Ooba, the also-elderly master of Lamia Scale, demanded, looking thoroughly irritated at both parties. Her most powerful wizard- a bald wizard-saint named Jura- stepped up to put himself between his master and the gathered thugs.

"Let us see how this plays out," he advised, his voice rumbling like an avalanche. "I'm certain that Master Makarov had nothing to do with this unruly bunch."

"Jura is correct, I promise," Makrov said heavily. "Unfortunately, that means we're all targets here- Laxus doesn't leave his jobs half-finished." Laxus affirmed this with a cocky grin as lightning sprung up from his hands in a menacing manner.

"I ain't gonna ask again, old man," Laxus said. "Hand over the title of Fairy Tail's master to me before I get pissed."

" _Cease and desist!"_ A young-yet powerful voice roared as the owner came down from a massive leap to land in front of the two groups. The air reverberated with the sound his arrival. He was dressed in red and black, and the raging fire in his eyes spelled trouble to either party, but it was Laxus that he was staring down, which made Makarov more curious than apprehensive.

He was quickly joined by a boy dressed in black and silver, armed with a single sword. Like his companion, he too looked like trouble, but he appeared more reserved than the first.

Lastly, Makarov was truly surprised when Leafa dropped down accompanied by two flying cats. "Master!" she cried as she moved to stand beside him. "Thank goodness we made it in time!"

"Leafa!" he and the other wizards said in surprise. "What's going on here?"

"Long story short, those two are our only chance to make it out of this mess alive," Leafa cringed.

"Those two…?" Brandon said skeptically, eyeing them critically, not seeing anything truly spectacular. Brandon himself was a master of light magic, similar to Makarov's own power, and he was a powerful-looking man indeed. The two newcomers looked like they could stand to put on a few pounds.

"Look beyond the physical, Brandon," Makarov reminded him. "Did you see their eyes?"

"Just for a sec…" the S-class wizard admitted. "What about 'em?"

"The one in black bears the look of desperate determination," Erza answered. "And the one in red has the look of a relentless hunter about him. I don't see fear in either of them."

"Which makes them brave or stupid," Gray, brother to Recon, and another elite Fairy Tail wizard muttered. "I can't tell which."

"Uh… Let's just say that they're both," Leafa admitted.

"Didn't you hear me?" Mataras growled as he stared down a surprised Thunder Legion. "I said to stand down. Don't make me repeat it a third time- unless you happen to be slow of hearing or mind?"

"What did you say?" Laxus growled, one eye twitching.

"Now you've angered the Thunder Legion," Freed said as he drew his sword. "And you will- AUGH!" His pained cry was drawn out by Mataras' Talon technique, which sent him flying by the red-haired wizard.

"How far you've all fallen," Mataras sneered. Before anyone could ask him what he meant by that, he was already moving. "Fire Dragon _SWORD HORN!"_ His flaming head-butt put Bigslow in the ground before he could cast his magic.

"A Dragon Slayer?!" Evergreen gasped just before Kirito appeared before her, silent as a shadow itself.

"Normally I don't hurt girls, but betrayal is one of the few reasons I'll break that rule," he said quietly. _"Shadow Dragon SLASH!"_ And she was the next to fall, even as the Phantom Lord minions all began to quake with fear.

"Th-Those guys are…?" One gasped.

"Uh… Maybe we shouldn't…" another said as the two brothers faced all of them.

"I'll only say this one to all of you," Mataras snarled. "Stand with Laxus, and you're my _personal_ enemy."

"No one's leaving!" Laxus shouted angrily, stepping a step forward, only being restrained by Cobra's hand on his shoulder, accompanied a hiss from his snake. Still, he added, "These men don't even know the meaning of the word 'surrender!"

"But they seem willing to learn," Mataras smirked as he gestured at the shaking group of wizards. At a nod from Cobra, said wizards made a rapid retreat.

Off to the side, Gray said, "Are those guys new additions to the guild? I'd never heard of them before."

"No, uh, they're freelancers, actually," Leafa replied nervously, her eyes fixed on the two boys with worry. It was clear that they had angered Laxus greatly- and that never ended well.

"Then why are they involving themselves in this?!" Brandon asked, surprised. "They should've left when they had a chance!"

"Yeah, I tried to tell them that, but…" Leafa finally smiled a bit. "They said that they'd never leave a friend behind." The gathered wizards returned their attention to the two teenagers.

"Take a leaf out of their page, and take a hike before this gets ugly," Kirito said as the two brothers moved back to be between the guilds and Laxus- who looked rather angry indeed.

"Dragon Slayers, huh?" Cobra grinned as his purple snake slithered over his shoulder. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah, we exist, get over it," Mataras snarled. "You've got to the count of three to get out of my sight. One."

"I wasn't talking about the day your magic's existence was confirmed," Cobra chuckled as his snake began to grow in size and length.

"Two."

Cobra smirked. "I just never thought I'd see anyone besides Laxus use that kind of power."

"Thr-" Mataras paused, and Kirito's eyes widened. "Run that one by me again."

"That's right, you little punks," Laxus growled, his green eyes blazing with lightning. "I've got more power in my little pinky finger than you do in your whole body- I'm a Dragon Slayer with a whole year's worth of training under my belt."

"That's impossible," Kirito said with his eyes still wide. "It wasn't even until a few months ago that rumors of Dragon Slayers came around! You couldn't have had your magic by that time!"

"Where do you think those rumors started?" Cobra chuckled. "Laxus here managed to strike lucky and get his hands on a Lightning Dragon lachryma. Which actually makes him naturally more powerful, than say, a player that got Dragon Slayer magic by chance." His smile indicated that he could safely assume that his new enemies were original, or first-generation Dragon Slayers. Mataras and Kirito both said nothing, but their expressions hardened.

"Well…" Leafa said with sweat running down her brow. "There goes our ace card…" She had always known that Laxus was powerful, but now this… She doubted that even the Twin Dragon Slayers could take him down.

"Fine. Let's settle this the old-fashioned way," Mataras challenged. "Our party against yours, not including Leafa. If you can best us, then you can go about your business with no further hindrance." Even Makarov was taken aback- they had just been told that they would surely lose if they were to fight Laxus alone, but not only did they still want to fight him- they would fight Cobra as well!

"Fine by me," Cobra grinned as his snake hissed sharply.

"You're gonna regret this, you fools," Laxus boomed as he ripped off his shirt and began to grow in size. "A first-gen Dragon Slayer can't even hold a candle to the new and improved second-generation slayers! Now _get out of my way_!"

"Litrosh, protect Leafa and the others," Mataras said quietly, and the blue exceed moved to obey.

"Get out of here, you fools!" Makarov shouted as Mataras and Kirito stood shoulder-to-shoulder and took ready stances. They ignored his and the others cries for them to get away while they still could.

Kirito set his feet wide and breathed deep before shouting, "Shadow Dragon _ROAR!"_ A black magic circle appeared before him just as Laxus and Cobra began to move. Darkness shot forth, narrowly missing Cobra, who took to the sky on the back of his- snake? "That thing can fly?!" he shouted in shock as the monster rose on massive lavender wings.

Suddenly, he was lifted up from behind as Yui clutched his shirt and said, "I've got you, Daddy! We'll fly together!"

"Thanks, Yui!" Kirito grinned as he drew his sword. Shadows billowed from the blade at his command, and he whipped the sword in a slashing motion at Cobra. The enemy simply smirked and swayed his body with minimal effort to dodge the attack completely while his snake dipped down lower to aid the movement.

Kirito ground his teeth in frustration, but the fight was just getting started. _"Shadow Dragon CRUSHING FANG!"_

* * *

" _Lightning Dragon ROAR!"_ Laxus' voice boomed like thunder as lightning shot forth, narrowly missing Mataras, who was quick to retaliate with both words and magic.

"You think that having more power automatically makes you a better fighter?!" he taunted. _"Fire Dragon TALON!"_ His flaming foot nearly caught Laxus in the face, but he grabbed his leg above the flames and proceeded to slam him with a fist full of lightning, letting him crash in the dirt, fully expecting him to stay there.

"Now that that's out of the way…" He grinned as he turned around.

"You're the only one that's getting out of the way here," Mataras growled as he got up to his feet, much to Laxus' surprise.

"What the…? You should be dead!" the lightning wizard roared.

"Believe it or not, you're not the first to tell me that…" Mataras grimaced. "And I doubt you'll be the last… But I have promises to keep… And more powerful or not, I'm not letting you stop me."

"You don't have a choice!" Laxus boomed. Chain lightning blazed from his fists to strike at Mataras, who leaped above the attack and began a new spell.

"The flames of my right hand, and the flames of my left," he chanted as fire danced in either fist. "Put the two together, and you get: _Fire Dragon BRILLIANT FLAME!"_ He slammed his fists together, and a massive sphere was born from them. He immediately launched the blast at Laxus consuming him in a massive eruption of flame.

He smirked to himself for a moment, then hardened his expression when he heard laughter coming from the flames. "Is that the best you've got?" Laxus taunted. "If it is, you're an embarrassment to Dragon Slayers."

"You've yet to see my best," Mataras snarled. "Pray that you do not push me that far." The onlooker's eyes widened even further. No one besides Makarov had ever back talked Laxus and gotten away with it. Yet here was this newcomer, threatening him to his face with an air of confidence that didn't seem like a bluff.

"Hehe," Laxus chuckled. "Let me show you some real Dragon Slayer magic." He put his hands together and chanted, "Resounding through the air, let the roar of thunder plunge from the heavens and reap destruction! _Lightning Dragon RAGING BOLT!"_ A sphere of lightning, similar to Mataras' Brilliant Flame spell appeared from above and smashed down into Mataras with such great power and sound, no could hear his scream.

* * *

Kirito was already winded, and he hadn't even landed a single hit on Cobra yet, who was just smiling in an annoyingly superior manner. "Okay, I give," Kirito gasped. "What's your trick? How have you been able to dodge everything I've thrown at you?"

"Hehe," Cobra chuckled. He wiggled his ears and said, "I can hear every move you make before you land it. Sometimes…" His grin became more evil as he added, "I can even hear your thoughts if I listen hard enough… and I know where you come from, Kirito, Black Swordsman."

"Stay out of my head!" Kirito roared as Yui carried him forward at top speed. As he raced towards Cobra, he had a sinking feeling in his gut as he thought, _This guy used my nickname from SAO… So he must be a survivor too… Makes sense, Leafa said he'd only appeared about a month ago, which is around the time that we all stopped our full-time rehab. But I gotta wonder who he is…?_

"It shouldn't be hard to figure it out," Cobra smirked as soon as he came within striking range and slammed his knee into Kirito's abdomen before slamming an elbow into his back. Kirito's blood boiled as he realized that Cobra was still reading his thoughts. "A lot of people knew your nickname, but only a handful of us knew your personal name… _Kirito_." He spat his opponent's name as though it were a curse. Something about his hatred seemed very familiar to the Dragon Slayer.

Yui turned her father around and grunted, "Don't listen to him, Daddy! He's just trying to make you angry!"

"Yeah, well it's working," he grunted. "Yui… Do me a favor."

"What is it, Daddy?"

"I don't think Cobra is his game name," he said in an undertone. "Sounds like an alias he come up with… See if you can check out his player ID."

"Hey, you can't do that!" Cobra protested, aware of the plan already. "That's an invasion of privacy! It's against the rules of the game!"

"You listen to people's thoughts, and you have the nerve to talk about boundaries?" Kirito shot back. "I'd shut up if I were you."

"Why you…" Cobra snarled as he urged his snake forward.

"Daddy, his name is Kenji!" Yui said as they dodged to the side. Kirito gasped at the name, and he nearly dropped his sword in shock. "Daddy?! Are you okay?"

"So you do remember me, huh?" Cobra said bitterly. "Figures."

"Who is this man?" Yui asked.

"He was a Laughing Coffin member," Kirito said hoarsely. "Not only was he an expert poison-user, he also had a dragon familiar similar to Mataras."

"So he's like an evil version of Uncle?" Yui gasped.

"You could say that," Cobra chuckled confidently. "Since that hatchet is dead and buried, you might as well know- I had a unique skill all my own, the Festering Wound. Any of my attacks could deal a poison, blindness, or paralysis effect. And the way that it- GAH!" His words were cut off as Kirito shot forward and landed a Slash attack on his face dealing a serious blow to him. "What the hell?!"

Kirito went on a vicious offensive, his eyes wide with equal amounts of fear and rage. Cobra could see that neither the boy's fear nor hatred of Laughing Coffin was completely gone, but more importantly… _I can't hear his thoughts anymore! How did he do that?!_ One punch later, and Cobra thought, _Is he just fighting on auto-pilot right now?!_

Two more punches later, and Cobra had run out of patience. "Guess my usual bag of tricks won't cut it," he said as he met Kirito's fist with a blow of his own, one that caused the Shadow Dragon Slayer to cry out in pain and recoil.

Yui asked him what was wrong, and Kirito showed her his bare hand, which was burned red, but not as with fire, no it looked like his skin had been through a serious chemical reaction, and there was even an evil-looking purple fog emanating from the hand. "What is this?!" he cried in frustration.

"Take a look!" Cobra laughed as his arms grew in size, became covered in purple scales, and sprouted nasty-looking claws. "You're up against the Poison Dragon now!"

"Oh crap!" Kirito groaned.

"No way…" Yui said in horror. "He's a Dragon Slayer too?!"

"Looks like," Kirito growled.

"And not just a regular old slayer like you and the Red Swordsman," Cobra grinned. "I had a poison lachryma placed in my body, making me infinitely more powerful than anyone who's gone and just lucked out!" He breathed in deeply and shouted, _"Poison Dragon ROAR!"_

Kirito grimaced as he felt his body going numb from the impact of the breath attack, and his health points started to drop at a steady rate. He was already losing, and Cobra was barely getting started. But the memory of his wife ghosted through his mind, growing his resolve once again. "Yui, what's my best option here?"

"There's an amplification spell that will make you more powerful, but it will drain your magic continuously, not counting any other spells you cast," she answered as she shot upward, out of the range of Cobra's snake, though it quickly pursued. "It's called Shadow Drive." And she quickly explained the effects before the snake caught up to them. The boy grinned as he understood.

"Yui, drop me!" he commanded. Trusting that her father had a plan, Yui did so without hesitating. _"Shadow Drive."_ Cobra's snake snapped its jaws on him- only to bite at nothing but a shadow.

"Clever," Cobra grinned as he wiggled his ears. "But I can still hear every move you make, Kirito." He closed his eyes to listen out for his enemy, only to frown. _Did he manage to hide his thoughts again?_

He got his answer when Kirito smashed into him with a crushing fang attack from behind, sending him flying off of his mount, which hissed and immediately went to catch him. "Try all you want, no one can hear a shadow!" Kirito shouted as he drew his sword again. "Let's see how you do when you can't hear or see me coming!" And he became a ghost, ready to resume the hunt.

* * *

Laxus was laughing to himself when Mataras shot up and out of the lightning blast, sparks dancing across his body, and a look of raging determination on his features, instead of the pain that Laxus would have expected.

"You want to play rough?" Mataras growled. "Then bring it on." A Flame Elbow caught Laxus in the jaw faster than anyone anticipated, sending him reeling. Mataras followed this up with a Talon attack that smashed out his knee, and caused him to roar in pain.

Now the others could see Mataras and Kirito's real strength as they laid into their enemies with more precision than power. It was clear that Laxus and Cobra possessed more raw strength, but the finesse with which Kirito- and even more so, Mataras- struck them indicated that they were capable martial artists, even without their magic.

Even so, the two brothers were taking hard hits, and it wasn't more than five minutes that they were back-to-back, faced with a pair of very angry second-generation Dragon Slayers. "Think we have time for a unison raid?" Kirito gasped as he shut off his Shadow Drive. He still had plenty of power, but his concentration was wavering.

"Not a chance," Mataras replied heavily. "They won't give us the time we need like the other Phantoms did."

"Yui?" Kirito asked.

"They have both sustained multiple injuries, but both your poisoned effect and Uncle's trace paralysis are taking their toll," Yui shook her head. "I don't know that we can win."

"Heh," Kirito grinned as Cobra and Laxus took in deep breaths. "There's always a way to win." Without warning, he grabbed Yui and hurled her away from the battle, much to her protest. Then the enemy slayers unleashed their deadly breath attacks, and the two brothers were lost from view once again. But Mataras heard Kirito say, "You just have to look for it." Impact.

* * *

Leafa's eyes welled up with tears as she saw the two boys consumed by the magic of their opponents, and she felt what little hope she had for their victory die. _It's all over…_

 _Sssssssssssshhhhrrrrrrrrrrrp…!_ They all took a second look at the carnage when a strange, drawn-out slurping sound emanated from the mix of lightning and poison. The mixed elements were quick to dissipate, leaving behind a massive dome of shadow energy that was drawing in on itself. When it had almost completely disappeared, Kirito was lying on the ground with a mixture of electrical burns and poison marks on his body, but with a smile on his face.

When the dark energy was gone, there stood Mataras, his body emanating a mixture of shadow and flames. "Why…?" he asked heavily.

"You're the one with the grudge against Laughing Coffin here," Kirito said quietly. "I figured you have more of a right to take them out in this world than I do."

"What?" Mataras' eyes snapped over to look at Cobra, who took an involuntary step back. "Him?"

"That's Kenji, Uncle!" Yui said from the sidelines as she made her way back to her father. "He was a unique skill-user when he was in Laughing Coffin!"

"I remember him now- a fellow dragon tamer, if I'm not mistaken… and the one I chose to spare," Mataras growled as he cracked his knuckles, and his aura grew in size a bit. His mind flashed back to the raid of Laughing Coffin, nearly a year ago…

* * *

Mataras was on a rampage. Had a blood effect been implemented in the world of Aincrad, he would be covered in it by now. Guilty Thorn seemed to gleam with delight as it consumed one life after another in the hands of its new master. His friends looked at him with horror and his enemies, the hard-hearted red players, regarded him with unease, a testament to the terror he represented to them.

The Red Swordsman wasn't just a top-level player of the assault team, he was also the unofficial red player hunter of the assault team. If a single person or group of criminals was reported to them for having killed anyone, or sometimes even just wounding them, he would leave his work on the upper floors and hunt them down. Oftentimes, there were no survivors.

And now he had come onto his ultimate objective- the biggest, most feared red guild in the game. And he wasn't going to stop now, no matter who pleaded for him to stop. At least, that's what everyone thought.

It was near the end of the massacre that he chanced on a young man about his own age. He was a new member to Laughing Coffin- so new in fact, they hadn't even known that he was a part of the guild during the meeting the previous day. He had a yellow icon, which indicated that he hadn't killed anyone- at least, not recently.

Sachi had just rejoined Mataras in the fray, and she stood on his right side as he stared down his new opponent. "Please, don't kill me…" he said pitifully.

"Give one good reason why I shouldn't," Mataras said in a flat voice, already moving forward. "You're with the guild I came to destroy, thus you are part of my objective."

"I haven't killed anyone!" the boy said as he scrambled backwards. "I don't deserve to die! Don't kill me! I only just joined!"

"Why did you join this gang?" Sachi asked, her sword still at the ready.

"It doesn't matter why," Mataras said sharply. "He joined this guild, knowing full well what they do, and the sick, sadistic pleasure that they take in it. He dies with the rest of them."

"Not until I hear his side of the story," Sachi shot back.

"This isn't the time for a debate!" Mataras retorted angrily. "He has to die!"

"Why? If he's telling the truth, then you've done more wrong than he has!" Sachi said, her eyes brimming with tears. "You've killed… so many!"

"Out of necessity!" Mataras growled. "If I don't kill them, hundreds will die!"

"So you can honestly tell me that you don't take any pleasure in ending their lives?" Sachi sniffed. "That it's just because it has to happen, and for no other reason?"

Mataras regarded her with hard eyes for several seconds before he answered, "We know each other too well to lie to each other, so here is the answer." He stabbed Kenji in the stomach, much to their shock as he growled, "I take no pleasure in ending life that God created. But I do feel relief knowing that another corrupting influence in this world will trouble His creations no longer. So if you want to go ahead and call that enjoyment, please, go right ahead."

Before he could yank the sword off to the side, and cut Kenji in half, something smacked into his head. Something with sharp teeth and claws that forced him to stand up and use his free hand to grab and throw it off. He looked down at where the creature had landed to see a white-and-gray dragon, hissing and growling angrily at him.

Litrosh dove down from above and landed on Mataras' shoulder to roar at the other creature angrily, spitting sparks as he opened his little mouth wide to display his own sharp incisors.

"A Dragon Tamer, eh?" Mataras said as he raised his sword again. "What a shame that such a noble creature would fall so far as to grace you with its companionship."

"Eltras chose me, not the other way around, same as your dragon chose you," Kenji shot back. "Look, I wasn't always a criminal player, okay? But no matter where I've gone, no guild has room for a mediocre player like me. Laughing Coffin was the only one to take me in. Is it a crime, Red Swordsman, to want friends?"

"No," Mataras said as he lowered his sword slowly. "But it is a crime to seek asylum with known criminals, and plan to aid them. Besides, Laughing Coffin doesn't just let anyone in. You must have done something to get their attention."

Kenji looked like he was deciding whether or not to tell Mataras something, when Guilty Thorn twitched in his hand. "All right!" he said as he flung his hands up. "All right! I have a unique skill, okay?! I can poison anyone I hit, no matter what kind of sword skill I use, okay? Of course PoH didn't just let me in the guild!"

"So you were planning to murder people," Mataras growled.

"No! Just… incapacitate them," Kenji mumbled.

"You know PoH wouldn't have let you stop there, right?" Sachi said. "He'd turn you into a killer, too. And you'd have no way out."

"Looks like either way, I don't have a way out now," Kenji said resignedly.

Sachi gave Mataras a long, unusually hard look, before he finally nodded and turned on his heel. "I'll let you live, just this once," he said as he walked away. "But if I _ever_ see you outside the Black Iron Palace…" He turned to look over his shoulder. "I'll kill you, and it won't be quick…"

* * *

"So… The past of the boy and the past of the avenger have both chased me here…" Mataras chuckled. "Fascinating. I'll enjoy this _immensely_."

"What have you done?!" Laxus shouted as Mataras' appearance began to change.

His red hair became black as night, save for three red streaks that swept backwards on his head. His eyes glowed red instead of remaining a dull maroon color, and his exposed skin was leaking dark energy. To sum it up in a word, he looked like a demon.

Nobody on the sidelines could move or speak. What Mataras had done had just essentially defied the rules of the game that they all played by. It shouldn't have been possible.

"I'll do what I must to defeat you, Laxus," Mataras growled. "I don't know what's happened in the last two years to make you into a traitorous, power-hungry madman, but I do know one thing. Erak from two years ago would never betray those he called friends."

Laxus' eyes widened, and he actually took a step back in shock, much to the surprise of everyone present. "How do you know that name?" he demanded. Next to him, Cobra was eyeing the Red Swordsman nervously. He knew all too well what happened when Mataras was pushed to extremes, and the Fire Dragon Slayer was definitely past the point of no return. He had been hoping that Laxus would have been able to kill the wizard before that happened, but now…

"The name we are born with differs from the name we choose to base our identity in," Mataras growled sharply. "Remember the last time I told you that? Or has the memory of your friends vanished from the real world, too? You're about to remember who I am, and I can promise that it's not going to be a pleasant process."

"He's really gone and done it," Makarov muttered after a moment. "He's become a dual-wielding magician. A Shadow Flame Dragon." Leafa looked back at the boy in red, and felt hope light anew in her heart.

"Bring it on, both of you!" Mataras roared his challenge to Cobra and Laxus both. "Give me your best shot!" The shadow and fire blended together, creating dark flames that reflected the black hatred of the Red Swordsman.

* * *

 **Asuna: Well... I always knew Mataras had a monster on the inside, but that was something new.**

 **Sachi: Yeah, I don't think any of the readers saw that one coming.**

 **Asuna: Now I'm curious to see how the next part plays out, though. Making Cobra a member of Laughing Coffin just got my curiosity up.**

 **Sachi: Yes, the basis for this character, Kenji, was provided by Antex the Legendary Zoroark, a regular reader of Mataras' works, and the supplier for another OC in a previous story. His contribution- along with Naruto's for Brandon- is greatly appreciated, as the stories can feel a little more complete with some external input.**

 **Asuna: What was the point of Brandon, though? He didn't even fight!**

 **Sachi: Not yet, but we've yet to see the last of him. Mataras promises that before all is said and done, he'll be giving us a round for the ages.**

 **Asuna: Okay, if Mataras says so. In any case, we better get going. Until next time, readers! Please be sure to leave a review with your thoughts!**

 **Sachi: Bye! Hope to see you again!**


	23. Mataras vs the Past

**A/N: Hehe, are you getting fired up yet? I won't keep you here long, just long enough to notify you that the newest cover art is the Twin Dragon Slayer Brothers, featuring Mataras in Shadow Flame Dragon Mode. Enjoy, and be sure to review!**

* * *

Mataras vs. the Past

"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Cobra said as Mataras faced him and his partner down. "Eating any element other than your own is poisonous to your avatar! Now you've just made my job even easier! _Poison Dragon SCALES_!" Triangular bursts of poison magic shot forth to strike down the Red Swordsman, who simply smirked.

Just before the deadly magic could strike, the boy vanished without a trace, much to the bewilderment of those in combat. "What the-?! Where'd he go?!" Laxus demanded.

"Did he just up and run?" Gray asked.

"No way!" Leafa said sharply. "Mataras wouldn't do that! He never runs away!"

"Calm yourselves, both of you," Erza said firmly. "There is a difference between a cowardly exit and a tactical retreat." She motioned with her head to indicate Laxus' shadow, which seemed to be growing in size.

Unfortunately, Cobra heard them. "Laxus, behind you!" he roared.

The other player howled with rage and blasted his shadow with lightning magic hard enough to leave a smoldering crater in the ground. This however, gave Mataras the result he wanted.

"Predictable," he hissed as he rose up from behind Cobra to smash him with a black-flamed fist. "Both of you have been, every time I've fought you." He vanished into a shadow again to dodge poisonous retaliation. "Kenji, so terrified of a superior power that you forget how to use your greatest gifts properly…"

He materialized in front of Cobra, startling the player badly, and smiling with all the charm of a dragon. His next move caught Cobra square in the jaw, sending him crashing to the dirt, and stunning him badly. He wasn't out yet, but Mataras had to deal with the snake next.

As it hissed and moved to defend its master, Mataras laid into it with a Talon attack that slammed right into the head, producing a loud _crunch_ , followed by the shatter effect that indicated its death.

" _Lightning Dragon HEAVENLY HALBERD!"_ Laxus' spear of electricity was aimed to strike Mataras through the heart, but he would have none of that.

"And you, Erak," Mataras' voice echoed as he became a shadow once more. "Always so quick to go overkill when you feel threatened. It seems you still have yet to master the subtler side of martial arts. That is, if you even have any real skill in the first place."

" _Shut up_!" Laxus roared. "The only thing I want to hear out of you is the sound of your corpse frying! No one gets to use that name in this world and get away with it!"

"I'll do more than get away with it," Mataras chuckled darkly. "I'll justify it." He leaped out of the ground, above the other dragon slayer with his hunter's smile on his face.

"Where do you get off on trying to use my name?!" Laxus boomed. "That's a taboo! No one ever does that! Who do you think you are?!"

"Who do you think I am?" Mataras shot back as he spread his arms. "Think about it, Erak. Unadulterated rage, expert martial arts skills, and to top it off, knowledge of your real life? To make it even easier, I can tell you that I know that your guild master couldn't possibly be related to you by blood- there was an adoption, wasn't there? Come now, I always knew you were a bit slow, but now I'm nearly sad about this."

" _Lighting Dragon ROA-_!" He stop just as the sparks in his mouth started to shoot forth. "How do you know I was adopted?!"

"The same way I know Tybalt, Daniel, and Hannah," Mataras said as he dove back into his own shadow and merged with the darkness of a nearby tree. But his voice continued to echo in Laxus' ears. "I know you all from the days when Victoria used to make me laugh."

Laxus' eyes widened at the name of the one that he had not spoken of in nearly two years. He had heard about other people named as such of course, but neither he nor his friends and family ever talked about _her_. And the one that had banished the uttering of that name had been- "Is that you, Michael?" he gasped. The name was uttered only loud enough for his opponent to hear.

"That boy is gone, the name just a title of a memory," Mataras said, his eyes glowing red as he burst out of Laxus' shadow, and high into the air. "I am the Dragon Slayer, Mataras! And you are about to learn the price of betrayal _is not a light sentence_!"

Laxus whirled around with fear in his eyes as he looked into the face of his friend from two years ago. "You've ignited the flames of my hatred!" Mataras roared as fire sprang to life in his right hand. "And now you will see the blackness of my heart!" Shadows sprang from his left hand. "Put them together, and we get: _Shadow Flame Dragon VORTEX FLARE_!" The combined elements bashed into Erak in the likeness of a Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame. As the darkness enveloped him, a memory echoed in both of their minds.

* * *

"So it looks like Tybalt gets the first shot at SAO," Erak grinned ruefully. "How do we decide who goes second?"

"Why not just go in the order that we all placed in the match?" Victoria suggested. "Saves us the trouble of playing another four matches to see who gets each spot."

"Sounds reasonable to me," Daniel agreed.

"You would say that," Michael grumbled. "You came in second."

"Come on, fourth isn't so bad," Tybalt grinned. "Of course first is better, but you take what you can get, huh?"

"That's not what I'm annoyed about," Michael muttered.

"What?" Hannah grinned. "Are you mad that your little sister beat you?" The response Michael gave was unintelligible, but he couldn't hide the slight grin on his face, despite his best efforts.

"Nah, he just has to put on a tough guy act," Victoria said as she hugged him from the side. "Come on, Michael. We all know you like to laugh, so why put on the angry act?" Again, his response was indecipherable, so Victoria switched tactics. "Okay then…" she grinned mischievously. Suddenly, her fingers dug into his sides, right in his weak spots.

He let out a very un-masculine shriek and fell out of his place on the couch and proceeded to involuntarily laugh maniacally. Victoria pressed the attack, making him laugh hysterically in an even higher pitched voice. The other simply looked on and laughed at the sight of their friend, an expert martial artist, and the most grim-faced person they knew, laughing like a little child.

"Alright!" he shouted. "Mercy! I give!"

"You sure?" Victoria teased him as she kept tickling his sides.

" _I said MERCY_!" he cried. She giggled and got up, leaving him in a heap. The others kept laughing, but none of them entertained the thought of pressing the attack. Only Victoria was capable of drawing out Michael's childish side, and even she could only pull things like this off by surprise. "Ahh…" he groaned as he got up. "Don't ever do that again…"

"Or else what?" Hannah chuckled. "You always go on about how you won't hit a girl."

"Unless she's armed…" Michael protested weakly. "And I'm seriously considering adding nails as weapon in my list."

"Hah, we all know you'd never hit Victoria, even if she put a knife to you," Daniel chuckled. "You look after her too well."

"Ach…" Michael sighed as he got up and grinned at the smiling face of his little sister. "I suppose you're right…"

* * *

The flames burnt Erak, causing him to roar in pain. It wasn't real pain in the sense that it would harm his real body, but it was still an unpleasant sensation. Then the darkness swallowed him whole, and his threat was over.

But just before he vanished, he heard Mataras saying, "We both want to know what happened to the other- don't bother denying that. Meet me in front of the guild hall of Fairy Tail after I have conquered the Tower of Heaven." Then he was gone, exiled from the virtual world by the power of Mataras' wrath.

* * *

"So, do you really want to keep this up?" Cobra said as he staggered to his feet, rage in his eyes. "You're almost out of power, and I know your health points aren't in good shape, either."

"How kind," Mataras sneered. "What brought on this offer?"

"You spared me death once," Cobra replied bitterly. "I'm trying to return the favor."

Mataras' response was to laugh for a long, long moment. When he looked back at Cobra again, the anger that had been in his eyes was but a candle compared to the inferno that raged in his eyes now. "You think that your debt to me can be appeased simply by offering me a virtual mercy?" he spat. "Offering to spare me in this world doesn't even come close to what I did. To be honest, I'm beginning to regret it."

Off to the side, Leafa looked on at Mataras with something like fear. She couldn't hear what he was saying from the distance he was at, but his expression was plain enough. Up until now, he had been showing aggression and a drive to win that surpassed anything she had seen before, but only now was she beginning to see the depths of the hatred from which that drive was born. It was a scary sight, and for a moment, she wondered if the boy she had been travelling with for the past two days was simply a façade to hide this monster lurking inside of him.

His eyes glowed an unholy red as he advanced on Cobra, who responded by leaking poison from his reptilian hands. "I know I messed up!" he shouted. "I can't take back what I did, and believe me, I wish I could!"

"I. Don't. _CARE!_ " Mataras bellowed as he rushed forward. " _I hate you, and all of yours!_ " In his rage, he failed to notice the stance that Cobra had taken before it was too late.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art,_ " Cobra growled. " _Toxic SERPENT'S GASH!_ " A slash attack lashed out from where Cobra stood, striking Mataras directly in the chest. The energy cut deep into him and covered his body with poison. Not one part of him was spared, and he immediately collapsed from the sheer power of the venom coursing through his body. His warrior's shout died in his throat as he keeled over, face down in the dirt.

Cobra grinned tiredly as he walked past Mataras and he said, "Roar all you like, Red Swordsman. But you've lost now. I meant what I said, though. I'll spare you- I'll even let Kirito recover along with your exceeds. I don't owe any loyalty to Laughing Coffin, and I pay back my debts, every time. But I have a job to do, and I aim to finish it. You know a thing or two about that, don't you?" And he moved on, even as Mataras' eyes closed.

"Well, we're screwed," Gray said as Cobra approached them with a wicked grin on his face. "Even if we beat Cobra, he's got guys waiting for his signal, and I doubt that we can take on all of them."

"Too bad we don't have Gildarts here," Jura muttered. "Why he isn't a wizard saint, I'll never understand."

"Renegade for life, that's my uncle," Brandon sighed. He took a ready stance and said, "I suppose we oughta give this our best shot, huh?"

"Daddy's not getting up any time soon," Yui said before Leafa could ask about his condition. "Giving Uncle all of his magic power has given him a condition called 'Magic Power Depletion'. It essentially renders him unconscious for some time."

"I'll fill his part," Litrosh said with a grin as he grew in size to reach his battle form. "I may not be a Dragon Slayer, but I doubt that Kenji has ever fought an exceed warrior."

"Who?"

"That's Cobra's name," Yui explained. "Get ready, Leafa. Even as beaten up as he is, his magic is not to be trifled with."

"Yeah, I noticed," Leafa grimaced. "Oh man…"

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?" The voice echoed in the darkness of Mataras' consciousness. He tried to open his eyes, but he could not. His virtual muscles were completely paralyzed by the venom.

 _Who are you…?_ He asked silently. _I know your voice…_

"See?" the voice said, now clearly belonging to a female. "You claim to hold on to my memory so tightly, but you don't even recognize me as well as you say you should. It's all of this black hatred, Michael. All of this shadow… It's twisted you so badly that you barely recognize people you used to call your friends."

 _The darkness… My hatred… It's what gives me the power I have._

"But it's keeping you from gaining the power you could have," she responded firmly. "Let that idea go, Michael. Then let something new, something better take its place."

 _What exactly?_

"Isn't it obvious? You'd say that it was cliché if our positions were reversed." Her voice held the hint of a laugh. "Don't just focus on your hatred of your enemies. Focus on your love for your friends. Focus on your love for the Moonlit Black Cats."

… _You know as well as I that I'm not capable of that. Not in the sense you're talking about._

"Have I ever steered you wrong before?" she giggled.

… _No._

"Then get up, and fight," the girl smiled.

 _Very well…_ He willed his eyes to open, even as he released his hold on the shadows surrounding his mind. _I do love my family… But I also hate those that would threaten us, and those that hunt people under them… Can I really use both of these drives together?_

"If anyone could pull that off, you would," the girl said as she extended a hand down to her brother, into the darkness he was struggling to escape. "Fight with fire, Michael. It both warms the soul and burns the careless. You know that as well as I."

He reached up, grabbed her hand, and smiled slightly as he saw the smiling hazel eyes of Victoria. "Thank you," he said softly.

* * *

Cobra suddenly halted his advance, his ears pricking up. "No way…" he said as he turned around, his back facing a group of very confused wizards. Before they could ask what he meant, a roaring pillar of white-hot fire roared into the sky from where Mataras lay. The shadows that had been incorporated into his attacks were gone, and the heat of his fire was more ferocious than ever before.

"What the-?!" Leafa cried. "What's going on?!"

"It can't be!" Cobra shouted, ignoring her. "How could he get up from that?!" The others followed his line of sight to see a figure slowly rising in the inferno. Leafa squinted hard, convinced for a moment that there was a second person in there with him, but when she tried to focus harder, something new entered the picture.

"He shouldn't be able to do that!" Cobra gasped in shock. "He was out of magic power! But the flames… He burned the poison off!"

Mataras suddenly let out a loud, gut-chilling cry, accompanied by taking his first step outside of the pillar of fire to reveal that he indeed was free of the poison. He was battered and bruised, but he didn't look like he was ready to keel over like he had been a minute ago. But he wasn't alone. A massive, red-scaled foot, easily the size of the boy himself stepped out with him, causing everyone assembled to react with fear.

Cobra was petrified as he looked up even higher while Mataras let out another roar, this time not even sounding human. The air reverberated with power of his lungs, and the sound was that of a beast's roar on the hunt. To accompany it, a massive red dragon stepped out of the flames, right behind and above Mataras, who was back to his usual red-haired appearance, without a hint of poison or shadow on him.

"The Flames of Emotion," Makarov said gravely. When Leafa looked to him for an explanation, he added, "The true power of the fire dragons. The more emotion they feel, the more power they will release."

"So that means Mataras is…" Leafa could hardly believe it.

"That boy is a real Dragon Slayer," Makarov finished just as Mataras leapt forward at lightning speed, the dragon vanishing in his wake.

"RRRAAH!" His cry ended just as soon as his kick sent Cobra flying through the air. " _No more games, Kenji!_ " he screamed. "The last time we crossed paths, I promised to kill you if I ever saw you out of prison! So here it goes: _Dragon Slayer Secret Art!"_ The flames roared and whirled around him even faster than before, scorching the earth around him. " _Crimson Lotus EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!_ " The fires around him coalesced into two massive tendrils that flew through the air to strike at Cobra, letting loose deafening explosions upon impact.

The Poison Dragon Slayer cried out in pain as he was struck again and again. He couldn't hear where each attack was going to land next- Mataras had deafened him with his Dragon Roar. And whether it was intentional or not, Cobra's greatest strength had become his weakness in the end.

* * *

When all the smoke had settled, the awestruck wizards of Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale were greeted with the sight of Mataras standing completely still, looking up at the blue sky of Fiore. But what surprised them most was not his impossible victory, but the serene smile on his face, and the small trail of tears running down his face.

"Who knew that my past would catch up with me like that?" he said quietly to himself, ignoring all of their stares. "But… Now I know there really is more to my will than hatred. Thank you, Victoria."

* * *

Kirito was back on his feet soon enough to be thanked by the elderly masters of the two guilds. "Thank you both for preventing what would have surely been a disaster," Makarov said as he bowed slightly to the two Dragon Slayers. "We all owe you much."

"Yes, thank you," Ooba said gravely as she spun her fingers in circles around each other. "I might have gone and spun a certain someone silly if this whole thing had gone up in flames."

"It kind of did in the end," Erza said with a slightly raised eyebrow as she looked around at the landscape. "I knew that Dragon Slayers were supposed to be powerful, but what you two did today basically defies my understanding of magic."

"Mataras tends to blow off rules he doesn't like," Kirito grinned.

"Hmph," the Fire Wizard shrugged, deep in thought.

"Like being polite and accepting praise when two of Fiore's top guild masters are trying to talk to him?" Gray grinned. "He'd fit in pretty good at Fairy Tail, huh Leafa?"

"If nothing else, I'd like to have them over to spar with," Erza said with a fierce grin. "I'd like to try my skills against a Dragon Slayer or two."

"Yeah, but they're kinda in the middle of another thing right now," Leafa replied ruefully. Truth be told, the thought of having the two Dragon Slayers join the guild was rather appealing to her.

"Aye," Mataras said, suddenly rejoining the conversation. "We aim to conquer the Tower of Heaven. Something you also share in common, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Hmm…" Makarov muttered as he cast a look at Leafa, who suddenly looked very nervous. She remembered that sharing information like this with outsiders was not something Makarov approved of. "As a matter of fact, it is… We were going to discuss the details of a united assault on the quest when Laxus and Phantom Lord showed up." Leafa let out a slight breath of relief as she realized that Makarov was more aggravated at Laxus than he was annoyed at her for sharing such information.

"Speaking of, what's gonna happen with the alliance now?" Kirito asked. "I'd hate to see the whole thing fall apart just because Laxus wrecked the party."

"No, the alliance will be continued," Ooba nodded. "But I think that we're going to postpone the meeting until tomorrow so we can let the dust settle on all of this."

"Agreed," Makarov nodded. "I'm going to have to address the Thunder Legion and Laxus when they log back on, but after that, I'll be right over to your guild hall, Ooba. I'd rather have this happen in a safe zone instead of out in the open again."

"Agreed," Jura nodded. "Thank you for offering to accommodate at our hall, Master Makarov. It is greatly appreciated."

"Just don't try any funny business with my wizards, or I'll spin you!" Ooba declared sharply, bringing a laugh out of the assembled wizards.

"Oh, before you guys go," Kirito added as he accessed his inventory. He pulled out a massive bag of an unknown material and tossed it at Makarov, who all but collapsed under its weight. "There's something to help with the funding of the campaign," he said. "Leafa's been good to us, and you guys seem cool to me. Hope that helps."

"H-Helps?!" Makarov gaped. "This is… Over one hundred million jewel! How'd you get this much money?!"

"Trade secret," Mataras replied shortly, clearly eager to be off again at this point. "Use it well. I can tell you that money was hard-earned, if nothing else."

"We will," Makarov nodded as the parties prepared to depart. "Thank you, Mataras. And you, Kirito. And Leafa, you take care while travelling with those two rascals."

"Will do, Master!" Leafa said with a bright smile.

* * *

"And… they're gone," Mataras sighed as he collapsed to the ground, flat on his back. "Finally…"

"What the-?!" Leafa gasped as Kirito looked down at his best friend in surprise. "Are you okay?!"

"I just fought two second-generation Dragon Slayers after eating and using a magic nearly polar opposite to my natural power," Mataras groaned. "How would you feel?!"

"He makes a good point," Litrosh sighed. "Especially when he yells."

"Here, I have a potion for you," Leafa said as she handed him a red vial, which he immediately accepted.

"Thank you," he muttered before he drank it.

"Were you holding that in the whole time?" Kirito asked.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you say something?" Leafa demanded.

"They needed to focus on their alliance, not a wounded player," Mataras shot back in between gulps.

"They could've done both, or I could have done this while they talked, you know," Leafa growled, amazed at his stubbornness. "You didn't have to-"

"I didn't have to get involved in the first place, remember?" Mataras said right after he finished the potion. "Everything I did here was of my own free will."

"Leafa, we appreciate your concern, but we've been through worse," Kirito grinned as he sat down beside his brother.

"No…" Leafa sighed, her expression softening. "But how can you have been through worse than that fight? That was the craziest thing I've ever seen in this world!"

"Remember what we were telling you right before we came here?" Mataras replied. "The avatar and the person are one and the same. What we have witnessed and endured on the other side defines who we are in this world, too. Kirito has suffered great isolation, and I have suffered great loss. But these losses only make us stronger if we choose not to let them break us."

Leafa smiled at Mataras, who reddened a bit and looked away. "You know, you were pretty scary during that last bit of the fight," she said curiously after an awkward pause. "What brought that on?"

His eyes widened and he looked over at Kirito, who cocked his head in confusion. "Actually…" he said. "Kirito, come with me. I need to talk to you for a moment. Litrosh, Yui, stay with Leafa." Without another word, the two of them got up and walked away far enough that they couldn't be heard by the Celestial Wizard.

"Why does he do that?" Leafa lamented aloud.

"Do what, Leafa?" Yui asked innocently.

"Shut me out…" she sighed in response. "I'd like to get to know him better, but he seems determined not to let that happen. I just wanna know why…"

"Ah, are you infatuated with him, then?" Litrosh asked bluntly.

"Wha-?!" Leafa's face turned bright red at the blue exceeds forwardness. "N-No!"

"The blood in your face says otherwise," he smirked. "You can't hide your expressions in this world. If you're angry, it shows. If you're sad, it comes out. So on and so forth, which means you should be asking yourself a question."

"Huh?" The unexpected comment caught her off-guard.

"You saw the unadulterated rage of Mataras today," Litrosh said seriously. "That was no image, the fury you saw. He has all of that buried inside of him, ready to erupt at any moment. So the question you need to ask is, 'Is it worth the risk, trying to get close to a fire that hot?' Because he has burned many that have tried to get close, intentionally or not."

Leafa's mind flashed back to the image of Mataras after he had become a Shadow Flame Dragon, and she involuntarily shuddered. Litrosh nodded with satisfaction as he saw this. "You see? His nature scares you, Leafa, and for good reason."

"Come on!" Yui suddenly interjected, frowning. "You're making Uncle sound like a bad guy! He's really nice when he wants to be!"

"That's not very often, and you know it, Yui," Litrosh sighed. "Yes, he has good traits inside him as well, but the evidence suggests that they are dwarfed by the amount of fury and heartache he carries."

To that, Yui had no response.

* * *

"So, what's up?" Kirito asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Have you ever… heard your parents speak to you?" Mataras asked bluntly.

"Huh?" Kirito was nothing less than taken aback. "What brought this on?"

"When Cobra had me down…" Mataras said uncomfortably, "I heard Victoria. I saw her for just a second, but it was her alright."

"That's how you got up?" Kirito said, his eyes wide.

"More or less," Mataras admitted.

"Well… to answer your question, no, I haven't" Kirito replied. "I wasn't even one when they died, so I don't even really have any memories, just some old photos that my aunt and uncle kept."

"Ah," Mataras nodded. "Well… Here's the thing. When she spoke to me, she told me that my hatred was corrupting my basic nature. The thing is, I always assumed that hatred was part of my basic nature in the first place, and her death simply brought it to the fore… She seemed to think otherwise."

"You know, you might have just hallucinated the whole thing, right?" Kirito suggested cautiously.

"The thought did cross my mind," Mataras said with the ghost of a smile. "But I don't think so… Ach, I don't know!"

"Why does this bother you so much?" Kirito asked him.

"She told me that in order to grow even stronger, I had to stop relying solely on my hatred," he replied. "And that I needed to remember that I also fight for the people that I love… And I realized that hallucination or not, she was right. I haven't always been very kind to you, or to the other Black Cats. I've taken you all for granted, and for that… I am sorry."

"That's what you wanted to talk about?" Kirito asked, surprised. "Dude, don't worry about it. You've said it to me, so let me say it back- we're all different people, so we deal with the world differently. That's what makes us individuals."

"But that doesn't make mistreating you okay," Mataras replied firmly. "I can't say that I'll magically be a better friend to you, but I can only try to get back on the right track."

"Hey, you know what?" Kirito grinned. "You were willing to die for us. Far as I'm concerned, you're already a good friend. But maybe we just need Sachi back around to keep you in line, huh? I'm just not as good at it as she is."

"Heh," Mataras grinned. "Maybe you're right…"

"You okay?" Kirito said as he extended a fist.

"No," Mataras replied as he cracked fists with his brother. "But that's why I need you and the rest of the family. Otherwise, I might turn back into the boy that entered Aincrad."

"Then let's get back to work," Kirito chuckled. "We'll get 'em back, promise."

"Alright," Mataras nodded. And they turned back to walk towards Leafa, who was deep in conversation with the exceeds.

* * *

"The truth is…" Litrosh sighed. "Mataras already has an interest in another person in the real world. He thinks that if he allows himself to grow to close to you, he'd be acting disloyal to the feelings he has for that person."

"Oh…" Leafa said, crestfallen.

"So you do have an infatuation with Mataras," Litrosh said quietly.

"Y-Yeah, I guess…" Leafa sighed. "I mean, yeah he can be kinda scary and all, but he cares about you two and Kirito. And I mean, he's pretty brave and loyal… Not to mention honest."

"Sometimes a little too honest, huh?" Yui giggled.

"Yeah," Leafa grinned. "But truth be told… I'm kind of in the same boat as him."

"Oh?" Litrosh said with a cocked head. "How so?"

"Well, there's this guy that I like IRL," she admitted with a blush. "But I dunno if he's into me like I'm into him."

"Hmm…" Litrosh murmured. "Well… I'm not a relationship expert, but I think the first step in all of this is for you and Mataras to reach an understanding on where you both are in how you view each other."

"B-But-"

"I didn't say it would be easy," Litrosh said quickly. "But if you want to pursue these feelings of yours, best to do it with a clear conscience."

"I… I guess so…" Leafa said, face reddening at the thought of confronting Mataras directly about how she felt.

"If it helps anything, you don't even know him in the real world," Yui chirped.

"Yeah, but it's pretty clear that he acts the same way in the real world as he does here," Leafa argued. "Still, you're right…" She stood up as Mataras and Kirito returned, and immediately grabbed the fire wizard by the arm.

"Come on, we've lost time on this whole fighting business," she said without looking at him.

"What?!" he protested. "Stop it! You can't keep grabbing me like this!"

Kirito watched them go while Yui floated into his arms and Litrosh hovered beside him. After a moment, he asked, "So how did the talk with the lovebird go?"

"Just like you told me to," Litrosh grinned. "He doesn't look like he's very comfortable over there."

"Serves him right for always making fun of Asuna and me," Kirito smirked devilishly.

"You figured out that Leafa is Suguha, right?"

"Oh, yeah."

* * *

 **Asuna: What the-?! Okay, hold on a sec! How did Kirito figure out that Leafa is his sister?**

 **Sachi: Well, considering the fact that he was able to figure out who Akihiko Kayaba was based on the sound of his voice and mannerisms, I'm surprised he didn't figure out that was his sister faster in the original version.**

 **Asuna: But how did he do it this time?**

 **Sachi: My guess is that since he's not the only one interacting with her, he has more time to think to himself. Also, Mataras kind of helped to tip him off when he told him that he recognized her voice, but he couldn't quite tell from where, only that it was post-Aincrad.**

 **Asuna: Huh... I guess if he had some clues... But wait, does that mean Kirito figured out that Michael and Suguha are into each other?! I'd have thought he would say something- that's his sister!**

 **Sachi: I think he's looking to have some fun with Mataras as payback. But in any case, we are out of time, and we should go. Until next time!**


	24. The Heart Calls Out

**A/N: Hey guys, how are you? Hope you're ready for some unexpected goodiness, because that's what I've got in store for everyone! Please enjoy, and as always, I very much look forward to your reviews!**

* * *

The Heart Calls Out

"Eurgh…" Michael mumbled as he stumbled around outside towards the outdoors' washbasin. "Note to self- staying up until three in the morning is a bad idea… Very bad…" He made his way over with his eyes half-closed and turned on the cold water, knowing that the chill of the winter was going to make this a wake-up he wouldn't forget.

Once the water was running, he cupped his hands together to form a small pool of the frigid liquid in his palms before splashing the icy liquid on his face. "GAH!" he gasped, the frigidity of the water shocking him even more than he had expected it to. "Okay, no more late nights, ever," he grumbled as he shook his head to fling the cold water out of his black locks.

"Wha's tha…?" a sleepy voice asked. Michael looked up to see Suguha approaching while rubbing her eyes blearily.

"Oh, good morning, Suguha," Michael said quickly as he rose to his feet from his kneeling position. "Are you feeling well? You look weary."

"Eh… Stayed up too late last night…" she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes and blinked again. "Now I'm all tired out…"

"Don't you have school today, though?" Michael frowned. It was true, it was a Friday, a school day. "What were you doing up so late?"

"Oh, just… internet and stuff," she replied thickly. "And I don't have to go in for classes today if I don't want to- I'm ahead in all my classes."

"If you say so," Michael shrugged. "But then why get up at the usual hour?"

"Force of habit," she yawned. "But since we're both up, wanna give me a hand in making breakfast?"

"It would be my pleasure," Michael said with smile and a slight head nod. "What say I make some pancakes, eh? I have an old recipe my mother taught me that I still remember we could use."

* * *

Kazuto wandered downstairs slowly, mumbling to himself, his voice and eyes still thick with sleep. As he approached the dining room, he heard Michael and Suguha's voices accompanied by the sound and smell of food being prepared. He decided to wait on the staircase and see what would happen if he hung back for a bit longer.

As he concentrated, he could hear Suguha saying, "I had no idea you knew how to make any kind of food, Michael." Her tone was light and teasing.

"Most of the time I don't, but this is one of the few things I can remember doing with my mother," Michael replied quietly. "My sister was always the better of the two of us, but I can still make my way around a flapjack."

"If you don't mind me asking…" Suguha said after a quiet moment. "How long ago was it that you lost your parents?"

"Victoria and I were orphaned about twelve years ago," Michael replied in an even lower tone. "I was six. She was only four."

"And not one family looked into adopting you two that whole time?" she asked with surprise and a bit of sadness.

Michael chuckled bitterly at the memories he was now allowing to resurface. "It's no easy thing to adopt a pair of siblings, you know. As a matter of fact, several families tried to adopt us separately on several occasions, but we refused to be separated from one another. I remember this one family when I was about thirteen or so- whom I'm sure had good intentions- tried to take Victoria without my knowledge with the help of the orphanage while I was out with my friends for the day on a school trip. They told her something along the lines of how they would bring me home to her soon enough. Lies, of course, which I confirmed with the headmaster of the orphanage later on."

"What happened?" Suguha asked. Her eyes were wide with curiosity, Kazuto was sure.

"I got back early, and I was very angry," Michael said, his voice growing hard. "I attacked the man and his son, who was my age. It took all four of my friends from the orphanage and Victoria to get me to stop, but by the time I was done, they wanted nothing to do with her or me."

"Well, at least you were able to stay together, right?" Suguha said, trying to be optimistic.

"For only a couple of years," Michael said bitterly. "Had I let her go with that family, or any of the others, she might still be alive right now."

"Michael, you can't blame yourself for-"

"No," he said as he slapped another pancake on a platter. "Just… Don't. I've heard this talk so many time, I've no wish to hear it again. I blame the cutthroats that took her life for her death, yes, but nor can I deny my part in it either. I had so many opportunities to let her go, but I was selfish. End of story."

"But…" Suguha said after another awkward pause. "Didn't you find someone in SAO that reminded you of her? Someone that helped heal your old wounds?"

There was another pause. "Aye, Sayuri," he nodded. "She became much a sister figure to me after we had some close encounters in Sword Art Online. But… Nothing will ever bring Victoria back, and I must live with that for all my days."

After a moment, Kazuto thought he heard the sound of one person hugging another. "I don't really know what to say to help make you feel better," Suguha was saying. "But I just want you to know that Kazuto cares about you like a brother, and I…" Kazuto had to hide a smile as he knew that Michael would have surely stiffened from the close contact and the tender words by this point. But this didn't stop her from adding, "And I care about you too."

Michael's face was ablaze. He knew that if there was going to be any time to tell Suguha how he felt, this would be it. But… _I need to know how she would react, knowing that Sayuri will always have a place in my heart._ He reached up placed his hands on Suguha's arms that had encircled him from behind.

"Suguha," he said quietly, and he heard her take in a sharp breath. "Will you come with me to see Sayuri today? I want you to meet her."

"Of course," she nodded. "Want to do that after breakfast?"

"I would be glad of the company, especially if Kazuto does not wake up." He turned to face the girl, who nodded and stepped back a couple of paces. Her eyes were full of a mixture of hope and slight amounts of fear, and it took everything Michael had not to embrace her right then and there. But he had to be patient- he could not bear the thought of them growing close only to be separated if Suguha could not handle the way that Michael did and always would treat his surrogate sister.

"Someone call my name?" Kazuto mumbled as he walked in, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "I smelled something frying, so I came down."

"Of course you would wake up because there was food to be had," Michael muttered while rolling his eyes. Suguha moved to greet her brother with a hug and a cheery smile, the solemn look in her eyes gone.

* * *

After breakfast, the trio took a bus towards the hospital where Sayuri was staying at. "So, what are you guys gonna do about school once next year starts?" Suguha asked. "I remember Kazuto was doing really well before SAO happened."

"Yeah, but that was two years ago," Kazuto shrugged. "I've lost two whole years of school, and there wasn't any kind of learning in SAO other than how to stay alive."

"Hmm…" Michael nodded. "I finished school early, so that's not a concern for me, but I'm still waiting on a hearing concerning my parent's last will and testament. Perhaps something my father left behind can help me get a good job." His brow creased as he thought of the upcoming appointment, which was due to occur in three weeks.

"Maybe our mom can help you get a job at the news company she works with," Suguha said. "I'm sure she would if you just asked."

"I know she would, but I feel as though I have leeched off of your family enough as it is," Michael replied uneasily. "I appreciate the offer, but I cannot continue to ride the coattails of someone else if I want to be successful in life."

"Hey, no pressure, dude," Kazuto grinned. "No one here thinks you're a leech, so don't worry about it. But if you can get something good going on your own, awesome." Michael nodded once but said nothing else on the matter, instead focusing his thoughts on what awaited him that afternoon- the Tower of Heaven.

* * *

Michael paused outside the room that held his little sister and looked at Kazuto warily. "Do you mind giving me and Suguha a moment?" he asked, his voice tense.

"Sure," Kazuto replied easily, barely restraining the smile that wanted to come out onto his face. "Take your time. I'll just be waiting out here." And the other two went in, both nervous, both hopeful for a good outcome in what would be a point of no return.

Michael wasted no time in making his way to Sayuri's bedside and grasping her cold, thin hand. Suguha took a moment to look at Sayuri, the girl she had heard so much about from her brother. The first thing she noticed was how similar Sayuri and she looked. Their hair was the same dark color, black with a tint of blue. The round face was a similar shape to her own, and her eyes were set in a similar manner to her own.

The differences were also there after she looked a little closer at Sayuri. She had a small mole under her right eye- not ugly, but almost cute in a way. She was also a little younger than Suguha, and the two-plus years of lying in a bed had not helped her mature physically as she might have were she free from the NerveGear. The poor girl was thinner than Kazuto, and looking at her, Suguha felt a deep sorrow in her heart for her.

"This is my sister, Suguha," Michael's quieted voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked over at him to see that he was still seated by her side, holding her hand gently, as if afraid to break her delicate fingers. "This is Sayuri, or Sachi as we knew her in that world. The only original member of the Moonlit Black Cats that remains…" He kissed her hand tenderly, and Suguha realized that he loved his sister very much indeed.

"You really think of her as your own family, don't you?" she said quietly.

"Aye," he nodded. "In our darkest times, we reached out to one another, and we found ourselves a new family in one another. And now, here I am, free while she slumbers on, while it should be the other way around."

"What do you mean by that?" Suguha asked.

Michael took a deep breath before explaining, "We never told you how Sword Art Online ended exactly… When the time came to face the final boss, Kazuto fought Akihiko Kayaba one-on-one. But I knew that if I did not interfere somehow, he would be defeated, despite his great skill with the blade."

"What happened?" Suguha asked, her eyes wide.

"Just before Kayaba could kill your brother, I threw myself in front of his blow and sacrificed my life in the process," Michael said flatly. "By all accounts, I shouldn't be here right now, because I died in Sword Art Online. …Kazuto and I believe that Kayaba chose to spare me for some reason, but I cannot understand why out of all the people that were allowed to awaken, she and Asuna were not? If nothing else, I should be the one in this hospital right now, but instead the innocent suffer." His voice was shaking with either rage or despair, Suguha could not tell. Maybe it was both.

So that was the source of his intensity and despair. He blamed himself not just for the death of Victoria, but also for Sayuri's fate. Steeling herself, Suguha placed a hand on his trembling fist and said, "You're not alone, Michael. I'll help you share in this problem, if you'll let me. I know I'm not Sayuri or Victoria, but… I like you a lot. I wanna be there for you."

He looked up at her with surprise, grief and relief warring on his face. "Suguha…" he could only say. "Why? Why do you care about me so much?"

"I just said…" she said with a warm smile. "I like you a lot."

He stared at her for a long moment, a blank look on her face. Then he lowered his gaze and said, "Would you still like me if you knew that I killed someone?"

She paused in her approach, her eyes widening. He saw this, and a wry smile was wrung out of him. "I thought so," he said quietly. "And since you know that part, you may as well know…" He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails cut into his palms, and blood began to flow, much to Suguha's alarm. "The truth is, I killed so many people, I lost count of how many lives my sword claimed."

"You mean… in SAO?" she said in a whisper.

"Aye," he nodded. "I had another name in that game, you see. I was known as the Red Swordsman- the hunter of red players, otherwise known as player-killers."

"You killed… the people that killed other players?" she mumbled.

"Correct again," he nodded slowly. "At one point, I even led an assault on the worst murder guild called Laughing Coffin, which led to most of them being wiped out… more than half of those that were killed were felled by my hand." Suguha shivered, the very name of the guild sounding evil.

Michael saw it, and he took it for revulsion at his actions instead of the name of the guild, so he lowered his gaze again. "Yes, that's right," he said, his voice growing hard. "I'm not Michael… I really am the Red Swordsman, Mataras… The Murderer."

Suguha gasped, her eyes going wide with shock, and she took a step back. "What…?" she gasped. "What did you just say?"

"I'm a murderer," Michael said, his eyes going hard as he gazed down at his sister. "I tried to save her… all of them… but in the end I'm only good at one thing, it seems." Now more than ever, Suguha was certain that she was on the right track. That hard look in Michael's eyes was exactly the same as the one Mataras had given Leafa when she had suggested giving into the Phantom Lord guild.

"No, what did you say your name was?" Suguha demanded, stepping closer to him, much to his surprise.

"My name, Mataras?" he repeated. "That's what I called myself in the world of Aincrad. Did you think that we used our real names in there?"

"Michael…" she said, her eyes growing even wider. "Does the name 'Leafa' mean anything to you?" Now he was the one to show surprise, his entire body jerking up slightly.

"How do you know that name?" he demanded. Then it all hit him. "Wait, Suguha, you're Leafa?!"

"And you're Mataras?!" she demanded. "The Dragon Slayer?!"

"But I thought you hated video games!" he said with wide eyes as he stood up. "Kazuto said you wouldn't date a gamer of he was the last man alive!"

"Wait, he said that?" she said curiously with a grin.

"That's off topic!" Michael said, still in shock. "How did you get into Inner Magic Online?! Especially after what Sword Art Online did to Kazuto and everyone else?"

"How did you get the guts to go back to the virtual world?" Suguha countered. "And why didn't you or Kazuto say anything to me about it?!" Before he could answer, she said, "Wait, Kazuto… Kazu…to… Don't tell me…"

"Kirito is your brother, yes," Michael said resignedly. "We went into the game because we believe that the three hundred players that remain trapped in slumber are being held captive. Specifically in-"

"The Tower of Heaven," Suguha finished with some surprise. "That's why you were so desperate to get there…"

"Correct," Michael nodded. "Now then, if you'd be so kind as to answer me… Why did you go into the virtual world in the first place?"

"Well…" she said awkwardly. "In a way, it was to get closer to Kazuto. I wanted to know why he loved the virtual world so much, so I asked a friend to help me get set up, and I found myself as Leafa, the Celestial Wizard. And I could see why Kazuto loved the virtual world as he did… The adventure, the rush you get…"

"It nearly makes you want to abandon the real world in favor of that one," Michael said with a slight frown. "Am I right?"

"Yeah," she nodded sincerely.

Michael said nothing for a moment, simply looking down at Sayuri in silence before he replied, "A romanticized idea, Suguha… This is the cost of such a wish. Kayaba wanted to create a new world, and this was the price we all had to pay for it. Perish it."

"I- I didn't mean it like that," Suguha said hurriedly. "Sorry it came out like that…"

"No, perhaps I was too harsh," he sighed. "The truth is, going into Aincrad, I thought much the same. But your brother and Sayuri showed me that there are more precious things in this world that we never could have in there, despite trying our best to live life as best we could."

"Like what?" she asked curiously, and she was surprised when he turned so that his face was only a couple of inches from hers. She felt her face heat up as she looked into the depths of his dark eyes.

"Like meeting you," he said quietly. "Had I stayed in there all of my days, I never would have had the chance to meet you, Suguha. That is one thing that I would not have found myself fortunate to have missed out on."

More than ever, Suguha felt drawn to the boy in front of her. "So does that mean…"

"Let me stop you before you go any further," he said seriously, though he didn't move. "Can you accept that I killed multitudes?"

Suguha stared into his eyes for some time, searching for the answer she needed to give him. When she finally had it, her own words surprised her a bit. "I can accept that you must have had a good reason for doing what you did. I mean, it sounds like you killed those people because they were evil, not just for fun like they did."

Michael smiled slightly and leaned in a bit. "Right answer," he said quietly. Barely any space separated their faces now, and Suguha closed her eyes in anticipation. So she was surprised when Michael grasped her shoulders and kissed her on the brow gently. "But I can't until we tell Kazuto about this," he explained.

"Why not?" she asked quietly, somewhat disappointed.

He smiled gently, and there was new warmth in the expression. "I'm a bit more old-fashioned when it comes to dating. Since your father isn't in the country right now, Kazuto gets the say-so. Also, I kind of promised him I'd tell him who I was planning on courting once I knew how you'd react."

Suguha was finding it hard to reconcile the warm, soft-spoken, gentle young man with the fierce, deadly warrior he had shown he could be while in the virtual world. But the cuts in his palms were proof of how quickly he could awaken that anger of his, should he be afflicted by the injustices of the world. _He's suffered so much, but he's still willing to put his happiness on hold out of respect for Kazuto…_ she thought in awe. "Okay," she mumbled. Even if he was right to stand by his principles, it didn't stop her from wanting to have him to herself for a few minutes.

Michael moved and opened the door to let in Kazuto, who looked at them both curiously. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Well…" Michael said, shuffling his feet nervously. "Do you remember that talk we had yesterday…? In-game?"

"Yeah," Kazuto nodded. "Did you finally ask Suguha out?"

"Huh?!" Michael said with wide eyes. "How…?"

"Dude, she's my sister, and you might as well be my brother," he grinned. "I know both of you pretty well. Did you really think I wouldn't notice that Suguha had her eye on you? It was harder for me to figure you out, but when you said you were afraid of me getting mad, I figured it out pretty quick."

"Then why did you ask me if it was Asuna?!" Michael demanded, scandalized by the fact that Kazuto had caught him with his pants down.

"To throw you off the trail," Kazuto grinned.

"Is there anything _else_ you want to tell me?" Michael growled.

"Nope," Kazuto said. Then he clicked his fingers and said, "Oh wait, there is one other thing. Litrosh and I figured out that Sugu is Leafa yesterday."

Wha-?!" Suguha gasped. "You knew that was me?! How?!"

"Again, you're my sister," Kazuto grinned cheekily, thoroughly enjoying this rare occurrence of having beaten Michael in a verbal joust. "It wasn't hard to figure out. Granted, if it'd been just me, I probably would've been too distracted by the mission to pay any real attention to any similarities you share with your avatar. But since part of my time has been just watching you two try to avoid awkward eye contact, I was able to figure it out."

"And you didn't say anything because…?" Suguha said slowly.

"This is payback for all the times Mataras made fun of Asuna and me," Kazuto grinned.

"Kirito," Michael said, his voice low. "Do you know where we are right now?"

"A hospital…" Kazuto said slowly, the smile gone from his face.

"Good," Michael said as he cracked his knuckles. "Saves me the trouble of calling an ambulance to pick up the leftovers."

* * *

The group logged in together and appeared in a room that they had rented out before logging out the previous night. Kirito frowned at Mataras as they appeared while rubbing his arm. "You know, considering the fact that I'm being nice about letting you date my sister, I don't think giving me a dead arm was exactly the cool thing to do."

"You're lucky you got away with that," Mataras shot back with a smirk. "You know I hate being on the wrong end of a joke." Leafa appeared just after they did, and Mataras turned to her with a slight bow.

"Small wonder we found ourselves conflicted about our feelings for one another," he said as he rose. "We were seeing two halves as though they were independent of one another when we should have realized that they were a whole the entire time."

"Wow, I didn't know you had pretty words like that up your sleeve," Leafa grinned.

"I've many things up my sleeve," Mataras winked. "Be patient and you'll see them all in due time."

"Okay!" Kirito said, grinning nervously. "Just cos I said I'm okay with this whole thing doesn't mean I need to see all the flirting. Can we get moving on to the Tower of Heaven?"

"Yeah," Leafa nodded. "The ferry that can take us there is at the beach in this town."

"Then let's get moving," Mataras said as he lit up his fist with bright flames. "I've got a fire in my belly that I can't wait to let loose."

* * *

 **Sachi: Well, that progressed faster than I thought it would.**

 **Asuna: I think it's sweet! Other than the part where Michael beat up on Kirito...**

 **Sachi: Did you really expect him not to?**

 **Asuna: That's fair.**

 **Sachi: Anyways, next time, we'll finally see the two boys of the Moonlit Black Cats take on the Tower of Heaven. I'm looking forward to it, and I think Mataras is too. Until next time, be well!**


	25. The Tower of Heaven

**A/N: Hey guys, just a few things before we get to the story. First of all, to put your mind at ease, I am not taking a hiatus on any of my stories! There, feel better? Now, to get you hyped, I want to remind my readers that this April, Star Sword II will begin being released, as I have officially begun work on the project! Secondly, I have also begun to hatch a story that will replace this one on my schedule once it is completed. It will be my final Sword Art Online rewrite, and it will be purely SAO, but... It will follow the Hollow Fragment video game arc! That's right, I'll be covering all one hundred floors of Aincrad! And it will be done in the format of the light novels, a first-person point of view! Who's pumped now?! I AM!**

 **Now that I've got your guys all hyped up, it's time to get back in the game and begin the assault on the Tower of Heaven, now featuring a Mataras that quotes Vegeta from DBZ Abridged! (Disclaimers) And slight spoiler- it's intense! Now go on, enjoy yourselves, and please leave a review!**

 **P.S. If you have not reached at least the beginning of the Fairy Tail 2014 series, there will be spoilers in this chapter. Sorry, not sorry!**

* * *

The Tower of Heaven

The tower was easy enough to spot from the boat the group travelled in. They had rented a boat to take out to the Tower of Heaven's island, which Leafa was currently driving. The structure stood as a giant black-and-gray spear piercing the skies, ugly in its appearance. Why anyone decided to call it the Tower of Heaven was beyond Leafa.

Mataras and Kirito might have taken notice of the strange structure as well- had they not been leaning over the sides of the boat, one of them groaning every time a wave rocked the boat, and the other white-knuckled and not speaking at all. "I didn't know you guys get seasick," Leafa giggled as she looked at them both in their pitiful states.

"This never happened in SAO…" Kirito groaned.

"We've been running some data on your avatars, and apparently Dragon Slayers are incredibly sensitive to motion sickness," Litrosh said in explanation. "It shouldn't affect your real life bodies, but we have no knowledge on how that works."

"It doesn't matter," Mataras said thinly as he glared up at the tower. "Even if it does affect our real-life bodies, we will endure this…" He gripped the side of the boat so hard that if they were in the real world, his knuckles would have split from the pressure.

"We'll get 'em back safe and sound," Leafa said as she rubbed his back sympathetically. "I promise, Mataras."

* * *

When they drew near to the island where the tower resided, Yui suddenly looked up toward the top with a distant look in her eyes. "Yui…?" Kirito groaned. "What's wrong…?"

"Mommy?" she said, almost as though she hadn't heard him.

Mataras and Kirito both looked at the white exceed sharply, fire in the eyes of one and the light of hope in the others'. "You can detect… Asuna?" Mataras growled, forcing the words out while keeping his virtual food down with massive effort.

"Yes!" Yui said as she floated upwards. "I can detect her player ID!"

"I am also detecting Sachi's presence at the top of the tower," Litrosh added. "They are here after all." Mataras and Kirito said nothing, but shadows began to emanate from Kirito while the air around Mataras became noticeably hotter.

As soon as the two dragon slayers were able to stand on solid ground, they immediately felt rejuvenated. Mataras cracked his knuckles as they stared at the giant door, even as Kirito drew his sword and gave a couple of experimental swings. Leafa checked to make sure that her keys were in working order while Litrosh flexed his wings and stretched his muscles.

"When we get in there, stay close to me, Yui," Kirito instructed. "We'll be in for a rough ride. Litrosh, fight as long as you can, but if you run out of power, stay by Mataras or me. Leafa, stay behind us to provide support."

"Got it," she nodded. Now that she knew exactly what Kirito and Mataras had been through, she was not going to question their battle expertise. They had completed quests with danger multiplied by a hundredfold. This would be nothing to them when death was no longer a threat.

"Remember," Mataras said, fire in his eyes and springing from his fists. "This is where Sword Art Online must come to an end. If we succeed, we may be able to free the three hundred prisoners. If we fail…" The flames flared and he walked towards the door, prepared to kick it down. "The nightmare never ends."

Leafa retracted her thoughts about this being inconsequential to the boys. If nothing else, this was even more important to them than conquering the floating castle. "Ready when you guys are," she said.

"Wait!" a high-pitched voice called out, causing the small party to turn and see another small boat approaching. "I'm coming too!" It was Recon, one of Leafa's guild mates.

"Why is he here?" Mataras muttered.

"Afraid of a little competition?" Kirito grinned as he teased his brother. Mataras shot him a look that said 'really?'

"I didn't invite him, but he's decent at Ice Maker Magic," Leafa admitted. "Too bad he didn't bring Gray, though."

"Well, any help is good at this point," Kirito grinned as Recon leapt ashore and ran up to the group. "Hey man. How's it going?"

"I'm glad I made it!" he said as he grinned dopily at Leafa. "I wasn't about to let my lady go on such a dangerous quest without me!"

"Oh yeah?" Mataras grinned. Kirito quickly noticed that it was his deceptively mild smile- the one that hid the dam about to break loose. Just to be safe, he took a few steps back. "Tell me, Recon, have we met before?"

"Wha-?" he looked indignant as he snapped, "Leafa introduced you to me on your first day in here!"

"No, Leafa introduced us to Fairy Tail," Mataras replied. "The only other people we met were those Phantom idiots and that one whiny- oh right, that was you!" He started to laugh, much to Recon's anger.

"Hey, I sacrificed myself so she could get away from those-!"

"He got his butt handed to him just before we met," Leafa grinned. "By the way, just to save time and Mataras' theatrics, I'm dating him now." The look on Recon's face in that moment was a mix of disbelief and shock.

" _Wha-?!_ " he cried. "But you _just_ met him!"

"Not exactly," Leafa giggled. "See, Kirito is actually my brother, and Mataras lives with us. So I'd say I know him pretty well."

"But, but…" he whined. "Aw… But you knew I liked you! Why'd you lead me on?!"

"She didn't," Mataras chuckled. "You believed in the hype you made up for yourself hype. But you know what the biggest difference between you and I is?"

"Huh?" Recon asked miserably.

" _I am the hype_!" Mataras shouted, his flames blazing to life. Recon would have wet himself in that moment, should the game have had that function. Chances are that he did wet himself in his real body.

When he fell on his seat in fear, Mataras shut off the fire. He knelt in front of Recon and said with a cold smile, "It's nothing personal, but I don't like it when people don't take no for answer." Then he stood up and moved towards the door.

"So tough guy, you still wanna help us?" Leafa chuckled.

Recon sniffed and picked himself up as he said, "Yeah, I guess… I did come all the way out here, so I might as well. Besides…" He put a fist to his chest and said, "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. We never back down from a challenge."

"That's the spirit," Kirito grinned. "Come on. Let's get this thing going." Without waiting for the word, Mataras shoved open the massive doors that led into the monstrous tower.

* * *

The mobs were quick to appear, and there were plenty for the twin dragon slayers to attack. Recon fought behind them to guard Leafa while she used her magic to summon a spirit to her aid with his Ice-Make magic, creating inanimate objects to defend them both. The mobs were masked men in purple cloaks, none with any distinguishing features that might mark them as a boss in disguise.

"Ice-make: Lance!" Recon shouted as he unleashed an attack that speared a mob that tried to get them from behind. "Kirito! Coming at three o' clock!" They had been going for about ten minutes, constantly fighting their way up the stairway that was supposed to lead up to the chamber of Zeref.

His gaze snapped up and he swung his sword to cleave the mob in two before it could tackle him. He then switched his gaze to see Mataras about to get swarmed by over a dozen mobs. And while he knew his brother could handle that many… "Mataras, switch out!" The Fire Dragon Slayer leapt backward immediately, even as Kirito focused his power and shouted, " _Shadow Dragon ERUPTION_!" Pure shadow blasted upwards from the floor to smash into the mobs, who all were swallowed by the darkness.

"Duck!" Mataras roared as he came flying at Kirito with fire in his eyes. " _Fire Dragon SWORD HORN_!" His flaming head-butt smashed into three mobs at once, incinerating them. He landed with his back to Kirito and said, "I'm already bored. How about you?"

"What, are you getting tired?" Kirito grinned cheekily.

"Yes, tired of these stupid mobs," Mataras growled as he bashed one with an iron fist. "Where are the bosses? Aren't there supposed to be three?"

"According to Leafa…" Kirito grunted as he killed another one with his sword, "We have to get close to the top of the tower. And to be honest, I dunno how far we've gone up."

"Bah!" Mataras spat as he leapt into action again, this time laying into two mobs with a dual-talon attack. "If these things want to try my patience so badly…" He took a ready stance. " _Fire Dragon BRILLIANT FLAME_!" The flames he summoned flew upwards to smash into the largest gathering of mobs, at least twenty or thirty of them. The explosion sent them either falling down to the bottom floor or simply incinerated them.

"Careful!" Kirito called out. "You'll use up too much power at this rate!"

"See if I care!" Mataras shouted, his eyes blazing silver. "I'll take them all on with my fists if I have to! _Fire Dragon ROAR_!" The volume of the roar surprised Recon, who looked up at the Fire Wizard in admiration.

"The way he fights…" he said to Leafa. "It's almost like this is real for him."

"Well, to explain it quickly, it is real," Leafa said as she prepared to summon Taurus, Cancer having been defeated. "It's not a game anymore. Not right now, anyway." Litrosh pummeled a minion that tried to leap at her while she concentrated on summoning the large bull.

Recon looked back at the Dragon Slayers again, working in perfect sync, and he came to a decision. "Alright then," he said as he tore off his shirt. "Then I'm gonna help you help those wizards!" Pure cold radiated from him as he shouted, "Ice-make: _Cannon_!" A bazooka made of ice appeared in his hands and flew up to blast another squadron of thugs to pieces.

Leafa was impressed- she'd only ever seen Gray use that spell successfully, and even he didn't do it that often. It was a high-level spell that took a lot of concentration and energy.

The game system recognized the new threat, and it began to spawn more monsters to target Recon, who responded by grinning and creating a bridge that stretched across the cylindrical room so that he could stand in the middle of it, out over empty space. The mobs leapt down, ready to tear him to pieces.

"Recon, what are you doing?!" Leafa called out.

His only response was to smile fiercely, a more confident expression than Leafa could ever recall seeing. Then her heart pounded with fear as he assumed a horse stance and crossed his arms flat out in front of him, one palm facing the floor and the other the ceiling. Pure magic power radiated from him, and the room became noticeably colder. More mobs spawned and descended, determined to stop this new attack.

"Recon, that's enough!" Leafa cried, but he ignored her.

Instead, he took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs just as the mobs began to attack. " _ICED SHELL_!" he cried. Then there was an explosion of pure cold that could be felt throughout the entire tower, and it forced the three other wizards and two exceeds to shield their eyes as it erupted.

When they opened their eyes, an amazing sight greeted them. All of the mobs had been encased in ice, and all the doors that they spawned in were sealed shut as well. Even one of Mataras' flames evaporated when it came into contact with the ice.

"What was that?" Kirito asked he looked around at the destruction. "How did Recon do all of this?"

"That was an incredibly powerful spell," Yui remarked as she floated by Kirito's side. "Casting it in the middle of combat like that was quite impressive."

"Hey, Recon!" Mataras called down, where the bridge was shrouded in mist, hiding the Ice Wizard from view. "How about you lead with that next time, eh? …Recon?" When he received no response, he looked over at Leafa, who was approaching them with a grim expression.

"That spell…" she said somberly. "It's one of the most powerful magics in the game. The ice he created cannot be broken by anything in the game, at least, not that we know of. The price, however, is a total reset on your avatar's stats and skill."

"A self-destruct spell," Litrosh said grimly. "Unfortunate, but we cannot let this dissuade us from reaching our goal. We must move on."

"Aye," Mataras nodded. "Let's get a move- Leafa…"

"What is it?" she asked, noticing that he was looking upwards with an intense frown.

"You said that he killed or trapped all the enemies in the tower, correct?"

"Yeah…" she said, drawing out the word so that there was no mistake.

"Then what is that?" he said as he pointed at a solitary figure that was walking at a steady pace towards them on the staircase. "Seems that he missed one." His fists lit up as the figure stepped into a patch of light to reveal themselves as a hooded man with a strange, cryptic red mark on his right eye.

"You have made it far, but your journey ends here," he said as he threw back the cowl to reveal blue hair and green eyes. "I am Jellal, servant to Lord Zeref. And I decree that you shall not pass."

"I'll give you three seconds to rephrase that," Mataras said as fire danced to life in his hands. "Three…"

"Uh, Mataras?" Litrosh said as he took a step backwards. "This boss is beyond the parameters of my ability to scan."

"Two…" Kirito readied his sword even as shadows gathered in his left hand.

"Mataras, this guy is the spitting image of one of the council members!" Leafa said, fear in her voice. "Maybe we should retreat for a minute before we-"

"One." Mataras slugged Jellal in the stomach hard enough to send a shockwave throughout the tower, though it did no damage to the ice shell. Kirito followed that up immediately with a Shadow Dragon Slash. Then the two acted as one, not a unison raid, but simultaneously unleashing their roars at the flying figure.

The heated, shadowy explosion rocked the tower just a bit, and Mataras snorted at the sight. "That was the boss?" he chuckled. That's just- ack!" The cry was drawn out when he was hit by something- or rather some _one_ \- at startling speed. It was even faster than the speed Mataras and Kirito possessed, which immediately frightened Leafa.

Mataras shook himself and got to his feet in time to see Jellal shedding his cloak, a golden aura around him. "Nice try, wizard," he taunted. "I hope you enjoyed that, because it's the only hit you're getting on this fight! Now taste the power of my Heavenly Body magic! _Meteor_!" Then he pummeled everyone at the speed of light, knocking them off of their feet and draining chunks of their health.

"Daddy!" Yui cried. "Use your Shadow Drive! It should help you evade his attacks long enough to give you an opening!"

Kirito immediately went to work and engaged the technique, transforming into a shadow that evaded Jellal's attacks and allowed him a moment's respite. As soon as Jellal paused for a fraction of a second to turn and attack Leafa directly, he stabbed the boss through the heart- if it had a heart.

Jellal shouted curses at Kirito and yanked himself off of the blade. "All right, you little pest!" he shouted. "Take this!" Lightning bolts flew out to strike at Kirito, but he simply blended in with the shadows to dodge the attack.

Now Mataras was angry, a fact that the boss Jellal seemed to have forgotten. " _Fire Dragon…_ " he growled. " _SWORD HORN_!" He shot upwards at Jellal, who was in the middle of casting another spell at Kirito. His blow connect solidly with the boss' stomach, who let out a cry of pain.

That virtual pain was quickly turned into simulated anger, as Jellal shouted, "I've had enough of this, you pathetic ingrates!" He landed on a level above them, looking down at them, his right eye glowing with some kind of demonic symbol. He stretched his arms over his head and cried, "Heavenly Body Magic: _Altairis!_ " A black sphere of what felt like gravity magic appeared above his head, growing in size by the second.

"Look out!" Leafa shouted. "That spell can kill you!"

"Not if we take him out first!" Mataras roared. " _Fire Dragon ROAR!_ "

Kirito joined his attack, coming out of Shadow Drive and shouting, " _Shadow Dragon ROAR_!" The two magics sped towards Jellal, who simply cackled and cast his spell to meet their magic head-on. It shredded their attacks and kept going, aimed to strike down Mataras.

"Mataras, move!" Kirito shouted as he dodged on reflex to escape what would surely be the blast radius.

Mataras glared up at the boss, who was laughing maniacally. "Change form," he growled. " _Shadow Flame Dragon._ " His flames became black and his hair shifted to a dark tone with three red stripes just before he became a shadow and vanished out of the way of the attack. The intense magic spell exploded with enough force to shake the entire tower, forcing Litrosh to carry Leafa so that she did not fall down the stairs while Yui caught up her father. Yet despite the tremendous power unleashed, the ice created by Recon was not even scratched.

"You will not stop us!" Jellal cried. "I will see this tower to completion! I _will_ restore the power of Lord Zeref! It is my destiny!"

Mataras suddenly appeared behind him and slammed into him with a black-flamed elbow as he shouted, "To hell with your destiny! Today we carve our own!" Kirito looked up in surprise. Despite his intense temper, Mataras was not known for cursing, which meant that he was near the breaking point with his temper in this fight. And they still had two more bosses to go after this one!

"Enough of you!" Jellal roared as he used his meteor spell to put some distance between himself and his opponent. When he had gained considerable distance, he landed and began a new spell called; " _Sema!_ " The party looked up to see a huge gathering of magic power near the roof of the tower, which began to glow like molten lava.

"That can't be good," Kirito muttered.

"He's summoning a meteor from the heavens!" Yui said after a very brief moment of scanning the spell. "It'll kill all of us if it hits!"

"Then we hit him first!" Mataras snarled.

"Yeah, cos that worked real well last ti-"

Kirito was cut off as Mataras bellowed, " _Shadow Flame Dragon ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!_ " Black fire spewed from his mouth in a massive geyser stronger than any roar that the others had seen before. It struck Jellal just before he could complete the incantation for the powerful spell, blasting him so hard that he actually flew all the way up to the ceiling, where by chance or by Mataras' design, he was impaled on an ice spike.

His green eyes were wide as he was stabbed, as if somehow the system could not comprehend its defeat. Then he sagged, went limp, and fell several stories, only stopping once he crashed into one of the staircases. Litrosh looked at the body with intrigue. By all accounts, the boss should have shattered like the other mobs when it was defeated. Was there more to it?

Kirito turned to Mataras with the words, "Okay, I take it back. Nice one, man."

"I don't feel so good," Mataras replied with glazed eyes, right before he started to fall down the tower, all the way down to the floor below. He would have died then and there had Litrosh not acted to save him.

"He used up too much magic in one go," the AI explained. "It will take him some time to recover before he can fight again." He looked over at the body of Jellal with renewed interest. Setting Mataras down, he said, "Keep an eye out for any more mobs. There's something I want to see about this boss." He knelt beside it and placed a hand on its chest.

* * *

"Hey, Litrosh?" Kirito said as he saw something coming down from above. "You'd better hurry that up. I think the next one is here." And down the steps came an old man with long gray hair and a matching beard that reached past his belt line. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye. Though he appeared old, he also radiated power and cunning. Kirito was instantly wary.

"You have one chance to turn back," the old man said in a gravelly, yet strong voice. "This is it. If you dare to oppose me, the all-powerful Hades, you will die in the name of Lord Zeref."

"Hey, Litrosh?" Kirito said as he readied his sword. "I could use some back-up. Like, right now would be nice."

"I'm on it," Jellal's voice said. Kirito looked over with shock to see that Litrosh had vanished without a trace, and Jellal was getting up from the ground, looking none the worse for the encounter he'd just been through.

"What the-?!" Kirito said, starting to panic. "What happened to Litrosh?!"

"I am Litrosh, in a way," Jellal replied. "I've discovered a disturbing truth about this mission, Kirito. These bosses were designed to be unbeatable by any players in this game, which is why the boss did not disappear when Mataras killed it. The only reason he could do so was because of his base stats from Sword Art Online."

"And why do you look like Jellal now?" Kirito was still baffled.

"I was able to assimilate my code into the boss' avatar," Litrosh replied evenly as he stared down the new boss. "The problem is, although I've assumed Jellal's body, my battle stats are what they were while I was an exceed warrior. I need a moment to analyze all of his spells…"

"We'll take it," Leafa said as Hades tossed aside his cloak. The three wizards took ready stances even as Hades began to radiate immense magic power.

"Oh, that can't be good," Kirito said grimly. The next instant, the wizards were blasted backwards by darkness magic. Kirito recovered by consuming the dark energy and restoring his health and power. He leaped at Hades with lightning speed, his sword coming up for a powerful blow that would have cut many monsters from Aincrad clean in two.

"Go!" Leafa cried as she pulled out another golden key. "Open, gate of the Maiden: _Virgo_!" The shining gate opened, and out came a slim girl in a maid's dress with bright blue eyes and pink hair.

"Who am I to punish?" she asked blankly.

"That guy!" Leafa pointed at Hades, who had just back fisted Kirito into the frozen wall.

"Your wish is my command, Princess," she said as she turned into a whirling force that charged right at Hades, who was distract by Kirito leaping right back at him with a Crushing Fang attack. Both blows struck home nigh simultaneously, blasting Hades back up the stairs.

* * *

Now Litrosh/Jellal was ready to join the fray. " _Meteor_!" he cried as he shot up towards Hades with incredible speed to deliver a dozen blows to the second boss. He wasn't as fast as the boss had been, but that didn't matter much to Kirito- he was just glad to have the support.

"Leafa!" the Shadow Dragon Slayer shouted. "See if you can revive Mataras! Litrosh and I can handle this until he's up and running again!"

"Okay, on it!" said as she retreated down the stairs to where Mataras was lying. "We need to get you some fire," she said as she scrolled through her inventory for a health potion. "You keep using too much power in one go." Although he was technically unconscious, she was able to force-feed him the liquid, which would at least restore his health and cause his magic power to regenerate a bit faster. How much he needed to recover before he would wake up, she did not know.

"Man, did a train hit him?" a familiar voice said, surprising Leafa. "He looks like he's been through hell." She looked up to see the grinning faces of Erza, Gray, and Brandon.

"You guys came?!" she said, delighted.

"And not just us," Brandon said as he gestured down the stair. Leafa's eyes went wide as she saw all of Fairy Tail's elite wizards, in addition to some of the standard ones, coming up the stairs. "Fairy Tail owes those two big time, so everyone not on a job came to help with the quest." Leafa couldn't keep tears of joy from pooling in her eyes as she smiled at the arrival of her friends.

"By the way, how'd all this ice get here?" Gray asked. "This is some serious magic power in here."

"Recon used Iced Shell," Leafa said, her joy slightly dampened by the memory of her friend's sacrifice. "He destroyed all of the mobs in one go so that we could take on the bosses. We defeated one, but now Kirito is having a hard time with the second one."

"Who is the man with the blue hair?" Erza asked, intrigued.

"Long story short, he's a friend," Leafa said as she stood up to face back up the stairs. "Do me a favor and look after him? He needs fire magic, too."

"I've got you covered," Erza said with a smile. "Go, you three. Help our Dragon Slayer." Leafa, Brandon, and Gray all took off up the stairs to rejoin the fray while Erza said, "Requip: _Flame Empress Armor_!" Her attire immediately changed so that she was dressed in red-and-orange armor, armed with twin sword that blazed with fire. "You saved our guild," she said to the unconscious warrior. "Now let us save you."

* * *

Kirito roared at Hades, only to have the boss bat the spell aside like it was an annoying fly. Virgo had vanished a moment ago, and now the two boys were having a hard time just surviving. Just before Hades could follow up on his counterattack, however, a new element entered the picture.

"Ice-make: _Lance!_ " Spears of ice pummeled Hades in rapid succession, much to the surprise of Kirito and Litrosh. This was followed by several light blasts that forced the boss to dodge, giving Litrosh a new opening to attack.

"Heavenly Body Magic!" he cried as he drew a new magic circle. " _Altairis!_ " Kirito remembered that when that spell had been cast by the boss-Jellal, it had shook the Tower entirely. Which meant…

"Everyone, get back!" Kirito shouted as he dissolved into shadow, taking Yui in with him. Gray and Brandon looked up, saw the massive magic circle being drawn, and immediately turned around. The black sphere was cast at Hades, and it struck him dead-on, resulting a loud cry being drawn from him and a massive explosion rocking the tower yet again, the third time since the battle began.

"My, my…" a gravelly voice said from the dust, filling everyone who heard it with a feeling of dread. "It's been some time since I've been bruised like this in a brawl. Color me impressed." Hades got to his feet, wounded but still alive.

"Uh… you got any more of those in you?" Kirito asked as he reappeared beside Litrosh.

"No…" the former dragon panted. "That's all I had in me."

"Then get back," Kirito said firmly. "I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"On it," Litrosh said. "Maybe I can still help Mataras somehow." Then he was running back down the stairs, leaving Kirito with Yui, Brandon, and Gray.

"Any ideas?" Gray asked as he took a ready stance.

"Hit him really hard," Brandon replied.

"Sounds good to me," Kirito grinned. "Ready?" but before they could launch a new attack, Hades reached up and yanked off his eyepatch, revealing a glowing red eye. The sight froze them all in their tracks, and they wondered what would come next.

"Now you will taste the power that Lord Zeref has granted to me," Hades growled, a black aura pulsating from his frame. "Let us see how you stand up to the arcane magic from the pages of the book of Zeref."

"Anyone else gettin' a bad vibe from this?" Brandon said as he began to sweat lightly.

"Yeah, I'm with you," Gray shuddered. "I've never seen magic like this before."

"Hold steady," Kirito said tightly. "I think he's about to go all-out."

"Then so will I," Brandon declared, despite his evident fear. "I've got a trick up my sleeve that might do the trick." He tore of his shirt to reveal a muscular frame, and more importantly, what appeared to be a refined version of the Fairy Tail emblem on his right arm.

"No way…" Gray gaped. "How long have you had that?"

"I'll tell ya later," Brandon growled as the emblem began to glow. "I need time to charge this thing, so give me a half-minute, got it?"

"On it," Kirito said as he rushed forward. " _Shadow Dragon WAXWING FLASH_!" His wing attack was on its way immediately, only to be countered by twin magic chains that tore his magic to shreds. Then they latched onto him and flung him the length of the tower, stunning him for a moment.

"All right old-timer, take this!" Gray growled. "Ice make: _Geyser!_ " Ice sprung up from underneath Hades' feet, slamming him into the flight of stairs above. Gray grinned, thinking that he might have done some damage, but all this seemed to do was make Hades angrier when he came back down.

Energy colored a mix of dark purple with a bluish tint and strange red symbols flew at Gray, striking him repeatedly, one hard enough to pierce his arm. "Hey, Brandon!" he growled. "How much longer?"

"Ten seconds!" Brandon shouted back.

"Ah, crap."

" _Shadow Dragon ROAR_!" Kirito shouted, flying back towards Hades with Yui carrying him at top speed. The blast missed Hades, but it did buy them a couple more seconds.

Now Gray made the final push. "Ice make: _Prison Cell!_ " A cage of pure ice was formed around Hades, effectively trapping him for the moment. Gray knew it wouldn't hold him for long, but it would serve its purpose.

Sure enough, a simple punch from the boss shattered the prison. But by then, Brandon was ready. "Time to assemble the rivers of light!" he roared as Gray and Kirito quickly moved away from Hades. "Grant me power so that I may vanquish the wicked!" His emblem blazed with light that nearly blinded those that looked directly at it. Light shone down from above as well, coming down with incredible speed and power, which seemed to be centering on Hades, who looked up at the spell with what Kirito could have sworn was fear.

" _Fairy GLITTER_!" Brandon roared, his voice echoing throughout the tower. The spell zeroed in on Hades, surrounding him with a ring of light that constricted him before imploding in a brilliant burst of magic power.

"Whoa," was all Kirito could say as the radiance of the spell slowly started to fade away.

"That spell was on par with Jellal's Altairis," Yui commented. "Though if I had to guess, I'd say that Fairy Glitter was actually stronger."

"Yeah, but was it because of the spell or the wizard?" Kirito asked as he looked over at Brandon, who was smiling confidently. Putting aside the thought for the moment, he called over, "Nice one, Brandon! Where'd you learn that?"

"Sorry pal, but you gotta have a maxed out light magic skill level to use that trick," he grinned. "Also, it's a one-off. I actually have to go repeat the quest I got it from if I wanna use it again."

"Oh," Kirito said, surprised. "Well, thanks then. But what are you guys doing here? Not that I'm ungrateful or anything."

"You saved our guild master from getting thumped," Gray grinned. "We don't forget stuff like that in a hurry, ya know. So we got half the guild together for you two." He pointed down so that Kirito could see the small army coming up the stairs, although a few of them were kneeling beside Mataras alongside Erza, Jellal, and Makarov.

"Oh, wow…" Yui said. Then she giggled and added, "I guess you and Uncle made a pretty big impression on these people, huh Daddy?"

"I guess so," he grinned. "Thanks, guys."

"This is not over!" a familiar voice shouted from the smoking remnants of Fairy Glitter's magic. Hades stepped out, battered and broken, but still ready to fight. "I will not rest until Lord Zeref is restored again!" His red eye blazed with fury, and the three wizards paled.

"Uh… you sure you can't use that spell again?" Kirito asked Brandon. The light wizard shot him a look, and Kirito added, "Worth a shot."

"Hey, what about you?" Gray said as he took a step backwards. "Don't you know any special Dragon Slayer Spells that can put this guy down?"

"You mean secret arts?" Kirito asked. "Uh… Yeah, I still haven't figured those out yet."

"Better do it fast, or we are screwed!" Brandon shouted as Hades began unleashing new brutal attacks on them.

"Uh, Yui?" Kirito asked in desperation.

"There is one you might be able to do!" she said as she carried him to safety. "The Shadow Dragon's Demon Void!"

"What's tha- whoa!" the question was cut off as he was forced to counter a magic blast with his own power. "Yui, how much power will that take? I'm running out!"

"It will likely drain the last reserves of your power," she admitted. "But if you don't defeat this boss, none of the players that originated in IMO will be able to defeat it. It's simply not possible for them to do so!"

"Rrgh…" he growled. "All right. Tell me what to do."

* * *

"He's waking up!" Mataras' eyes snapped open as he heard Leafa's voice. He was surprised to see her sitting beside Erza, Fairy Tail's Master Makarov, and a few other wizards that he didn't recognize. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked him.

"I think so," he grumbled as he sat up. "What did I miss?"

"Hi," a familiar voice said. Mataras' eyes went wide as he recognized Jellal, who was sitting off to the side. "Remember me?"

"Wait, you're not the boss," Mataras muttered with narrowed eyes. "Who are you?"

"Up until a few minutes ago, I was your exceed guide," Jellal grinned. "But I'm starting to like this new form better."

"Litrosh?!"

"Aye," he nodded. "Now get up. These fire wizards have better things to do than babysit you."

"What happened to you?" Makarov asked.

"I fell down some stairs," Mataras said sarcastically.

"No you didn't you were-"

"Shut up before I throw you down a flight," Mataras glared at Litrosh/Jellal. The former dragon rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide his smile either.

"He seems fine to me," Leafa grinned. "Come on. The boys need you up there." She pointed up further, so that Mataras could see that they wizards of Fairy Tail had reached the battle, but were now being decimated by what he assumed was the second boss.

"Oh, great," he growled as he got to his feet. But before he could dash to the rescue, his keen eyes noticed Kirito, and the stance he was taking. A large smile broke out on his face as he said, "Get him, Brother."

"Everybody, retreat!" Yui's voice got the attention of the fighting wizards, who looked up to see that she was not carrying Kirito. "Otherwise you'll get caught in the cross-fire!"

"The what?" one wizard asked.

"Do what she says!" Gray ordered. "Retreat back down the stairs!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Hades shouted. "You will all die for interfering with Lord Zeref's restoration!"

"Sorry pal, but there's no restoration happening here!" Kirito shouted from across the tower. " _Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " The shadows gathered around his fists, his sword back in its sheath. " _DEMON VOID!"_

A sphere of dark magic formed in each fist, and when he combined them, in seemed to grow even blacker. He cast it at Hades, who Gray distracted with a retreating ice lance. By the time he noticed the attack again, it was too late.

The darkness struck, and the sphere expanded to swallow the boss whole. His cry was cut off as soon as he was consumed by the shadow magic. Then the globe began to shrink as Kirito leaped down to rejoin the others, panting heavily. By the time he had landed, the globe had vanished from existence, along with Hades.

"What was that?" Gray asked.

"I trapped him in the darkness forever," Kirito said grimly. "But it cost me all of my magic power, and now I'm pretty weak. Got any shadow wizards? I could use a bite to eat right about now."

"We've got some people that know a bit about shadow spells," Brandon nodded. "Let's get a move on, though. We need to try and make it to the top before the last boss jumps us."

"We don't have much time," Yui said worriedly. "I can feel the last one coming into the room… Wait. He's not moving now. He's just… waiting."

"That's weird," Mataras frowned.

"Not really," Kirito countered. "The majority of bosses don't move from a predesignated area unless they're attacked. Even then, there's certain areas that they can't leave if it's part of a campaign quest."

"Hmm…" Mataras mused silently. "We'd best get a move on. Come, let us go."

* * *

"Here," Makarov said as he held up a bright fire to Mataras. "You still look like you could use some more energy." They were just underneath the last flight of stairs when he spoke to the young wizard.

"But don't you need it, too?" Mataras asked, hesitant to take the older man's magic power any more than he already might have.

"Trust me, I'll manage," Makarov smiled. "Go on, take it." Mataras reached out reluctantly and took the magic flames in his own hand before inhaling it. He widened his eyes, surprised at the amount of magic power in the flame, and he looked a question at Makarov, who grinned heartily. "I _am_ one of the ten wizard saints, you know," he said a bit proudly.

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons our guild is on the top," Leafa grinned fondly at the older man. "And Master is strong, even among the elite wizards of this game."

"So wait, why didn't he fight the queue attempt, then?" Litrosh wondered aloud.

Mataras elbowed his companion in the stomach as he muttered, "Because his grandson was leading it."

"Yes, but you seemed to share some history with him as well," Makarov said with a raised eyebrow. "Yet you seemed to have no qualms about putting him in his place."

"I have very few qualms in general," Mataras said grimly. Before anyone could come up with a rebuttal, they were suddenly at the top floor, and there was a massive room that the stairs led into. It was dark and foreboding, leading many of the wizards to hesitate.

But Mataras and Kirito strode forward without breaking stride, followed quickly by Leafa, Litrosh, and Yui. Soon after them followed Erza and the other S-class wizards. Makarov smiled encouragingly at the others so that they too, would follow.

As soon as the last of them entered the room, a deep, smooth voice echoed from the foot of a massive stone door. "Welcome to the grave," it said. "Now that you have entered, none of you shall leave alive." There was the sound of fingers snapping, and the room was illuminated by pale blue flames. Mataras and Kirito were immediately reminded of the setup on the floor seventy-four boss fight.

At the exit to the chamber stood a solitary man, deeply tanned and with a perfect frame, tight muscles rippling as he stood up. He wore a cape with a strange light blue pattern on it, and the same symbols were on his arm. He wore no shirt, but he did have a loose-fitting pair of black pants that partially covered his bare feet. His eyes were a blazing yellow, and his expression was a hard one. Everything about him screamed death and destruction.

For once, even Mataras hesitated. Then he stepped forward and said, "Who are you?"

"I am the end of eras, death personified," the man said flatly. "I am the destroyer of nations, the bringer of the final sleep. I am the end of all dragonkin, for I am their king. My name is… Acnoligia."

All of the Fairy Tail members gaped at that dreaded name. Mataras and Kirito, however didn't understand the significance of the name, so Mataras said, "You are the king of dragons? How can that be if you are a human like we are?" Acnologia regarded him silently, a bored look on his face.

"Guys…" Leafa said, her face even paler than normal. "We are so dead."

"Why?" Kirito asked.

"That man…" Makarov said, sweating slightly as he took an involuntary step backwards. "He is rumored to normally appear as a dragon elsewhere in the game. He wields the ultimate magic, known as Dragonification."

"Dragon what now?" Kirito asked, his eyebrow raised. All the while, Acnologia was regarding them silently, not moving a muscle.

"Dragonification is when a person uses their Dragon Slayer Magic so often it turns them into a dragon, too," Yui said, her voice shaking a bit.

"So wait, Acnologia is-"

"A Dragon Slayer like us, eh?" Mataras said, cracking his knuckles. "Then let's give it to him. What say you, Kirito?"

"No, you don't understand!" Makarov cried. "That man has the power to destroy an entire nation in one night! A single breath attack can destroy miles of land!"

"Fascinating," Mataras growled as fire blazed to life in his hands. "Because with a single blow, Kirito brought down an entire world. So let us see whose power is the greater once more- the system's decree, or the players' will."

* * *

 **Asuna: No...**

 **Sachi: What?**

 **Asuna: No no no no no no NO!**

 **Sachi: What's wrong, Asuna?**

 **Asuna: He left us on a cliffhanger- AGAIN! And right before we were about to be rescued, too!**

 **Sachi: Really, we should have seen this coming, so it's not like we can claim surprise, you know.**

 **Asuna: Will we never get any peace?!**

 **Sachi: Sure- once the story is over.**

 **Asuna: Ugh... I just wanna go home...**

 **Sachi: Well, while you're doing that, I'll tell our audience a little bit more about what was mentioned above in the author's note. As Mataras mentioned, there will be a final rewrite of Sword Art Online coming out possibly by this summer. He plans to call it The Red Swordsman (no surprise there) with the subtitle Shattered Fragment.**

 **Asuna: And he also plans to revive his Star Wars x SAO crossover in a new storyline called Star Sword II: Return to the Stars. This story in particular garnered the highest average review rate per chapter, so in a way, it was the most captivating story to his audience. He hopes to do this second story justice, which will come out in early April, and cover the original trilogy.**

 **Sachi: Speaking of Star Wars, if you want to see Mataras in a brief clip of a lightsaber duel, check out his YouTube profile, the link to which is located on his profile page.**

 **Asuna: Did we miss anything?**

 **Sachi: Not that I can think of.**

 **Asuna: Okay then, see you all next time- hopefully, we'll be rescued by the end of next chapter!**

 **Sachi: One can only hope...**


	26. As I Always Have

**A/N: AND I'M BACK! Man, it is such a relief to be able to write again! As a few of you know, my computer completely crashed a couple of weeks ago, whic means... I lost all of my writing. ALL of it. Including half of my second novel, and much of the fanfictions I had started on. Unfortunately, this means that the release of Star Sword II is being delayed, whish I know is very disappointing... I'm very sorry, but Ipromise I'm doing my very best to restore what was lost. I thank you all for being patient and waiting for my return.**

 **And now that I have... Link, start!**

* * *

As I Always Have

"Mataras, you don't understand!" Erza said, trying to dissuade the hotheaded Dragon Slayer. "The power Acnologia possesses is unlike anything in any world. Nothing can beat him!"

"Shut up," he growled sharply. He turned to look at the others as Acnologia shed his cloak and straightened himself. "If you don't want to risk yourselves, fine. I can understand that. But don't _ever_ try to dissuade me from my goals. I won't give in to doubt and disillusion simply because someone else says it's impossible."

"If nothing else…" Kirito said as he activated his Shadow Drive, "We'll just fight to make sure we prove everyone wrong. We're the Moonlit Black Cats, and we don't leave things half-done! Rrrah!" He shot forward at the speed of darkness, aiming to smash Acnologia's face in with his magic.

Acnologia regarded him with something like boredom before slapping him across the face and sending him flying into the wall on his left. The sheer impact rattled the chamber, and Fairy Tail began to retreat at its master's behest.

"Run, my children!" he shouted. "We need to get out of here, all of us!"

"Go!" Mataras added. "We'll finish this ourselves!"

"Don't you mean you'll hold him off?!" Gray shouted.

"No, I mean we'll _end him_ ," Mataras seethed, flames coming to life. "And when we're done, you all owe drinks for proving you wrong." Despite his rage he flashed a cocky grin at Makarov, who could only look at him, dumbfounded, as he went to what would surely be his virtual death.

"Now then…" Mataras growled as he faced Acnologia. " _Fire Dragon WING ATTACK!"_ He leaped up high and sent down twin tendrils of fire to lash at Acnologia, setting off explosions with the impact. When he touched back down on the earth, he was slightly surprised to see that the boss was not even scathed. "Well, this is an unfortunate turn of events," he muttered sourly.

" _Shadow Dragon ROAR_!" Darkness shot forth from where Kirito had landed to strike Acnologia in the back, who simply shrugged it off and kept walking towards Mataras at an unhurried pace. While it did nothing to the boss, Mataras was glad to know that his friend was still in the fight.

"Waking up, are we?" he chuckled as Kirito came out of his own shadow.

"Less talking, more fighting," he grunted.

Fairy Tail's elite wizards could only stare in shock as the two brothers charged back into the fight with no regard for their own safety. Jellal/Litrosh quickly joined them by unleashing lightning spells at the boss, but with no effect. Yui helped her father by flying him around with great speed and a strength that belied her petite frame.

"Why are they so gung-ho about this?" Gray asked Leafa. "You'd swear that this was real for them or something."

"Well, it'll sound like they're crazy, but it is real for them," she grimaced. "This is something they have to overcome, or else they'll never forgive themselves."

"But it's just a game!" Erza shouted. "And the death penalty isn't worth risking over something that's impossible!"

"The world around you," Mataras growled as he back flipped to dodge one of Acnologia's fists, "possesses only as much meaning as you give it. This is where our hearts lie, and the hearts of others that depend on us!"

"Defeat here means death to the souls of those that are countin' on us!" Kirito roared. "And we won't let 'em down!" Fairy Tail was at a loss for words. They couldn't tell if they were just crazy, or if there was more to this battle than met the eye.

"We're not giving up!" Litrosh cried as he began moving even faster, casting several magic circles without releasing their power. "We're going to rescue our family!" He cast one last circle and roared " _Grand Chariot!_ " Meteors of light sprang from each seal in the air and proceeded to pummel Acnologia with brutal force that would destroy most players. But amazingly, Acnologia shrugged off the attack like a spring rain, pausing only to look up at Litrosh with bored eyes. Then he resumed attacking Mataras and Kirito, who were forced to use every trick they knew just to dodge his attacks.

"What do we have to use to get this guy down on health?" Kirito wondered aloud.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art_ ," Mataras snarled as his flames grew even hotter. " _Crimson Lotus FIST!_ " He leaped forth at Acnologia, whose eyes actually widened with interest at the attack name. Then Mataras delivered a series of punches so fast that they might have been on par with Jellal's Meteor-enhanced blows. Only, this time, they seemed to have an effect, for Acnologia growled slightly and gave Mataras a proper return punch that sent him flying.

"That's it!" Yui cried. "Secret Arts must be the only way to hurt him!"

"Only those spells?" Kirito grimaced. "How are we supposed to use enough of those to kill this guy? They just take up too much magic power!"

"We can help with that!" Erza shouted from the side, drawing Kirito's attention for a moment. "If you start to run low on magic power, let us know so we can replenish you!"

"Okay," he nodded at her. Facing his enemy again, he prepared to use his attack, only to have the Dragon Slayer Boss punch him into the wall again, the bored expression back on his face. "Ow…" he groaned as he got up.

"Hey, I can't be the only one doing the work!" Mataras shouted, half-annoyed, half trying to get Kirito riled up. "Get on your feet, Brother!"

"On it," he grunted as he stood all the way up. "Yui, get back. I don't want you to get hurt on accident."

"Nu-uh," she shook her furry little head immediately and definitely. "I'm staying with you no matter what, Daddy." And what else could he do but smile at his daughter's courage?

"Okay then," he said as the darkness began to emanate from him. "Here goes: _Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " Shadows of a moonless midnight gathered in his right hand as he added, " _Demon Impact!_ " He leaped high in the air and unleashed pure darkness at Acnologia, even as Mataras shot out of the rubble, his Secret Art still burning in hand.

Kirito's blast pummeled the boss, and actually caused him to stumble a pace backwards, just as Mataras' final blow caught him square in the back, sending him to the floor. Makarov and his wizards were stunned beyond belief.

"Did… Did they just…?" Erza couldn't finish the sentence.

"Deck Acnologia?" Gray added.

"How do you like that?!" Mataras snarled at Acnologia. "Now if you can, pick yourself up, so-called King of the dragons!" In response, the NPC shot to his feet with incredible swiftness to glare at Mataras with burning yellow eyes.

He took in a deep breath, and Kirito had a sinking feeling in his gut. "Mataras, I don't like this!" he shouted.

" _Ether Dragon_ …" Acnologia growled.

"Ether Dragon?!" Leafa squawked.

" _ROAR!_ " the boss bellowed, bluish-white energy spewing forth from his mouth and heading right for Mataras, who simply bared his teeth in an animalistic snarl. When the magic was about to strike him, he dove to the side just in time and unleashed his own roar that bathed Acnologia in flames.

"This is going nowhere fast," Gray said tightly as he watched the two brothers battle against the powerful Dragon Slayer boss. "They'll never beat him at this rate- they're barely staying alive."

"So what do we do?" Erza wondered aloud. "If we jump in directly, we'll just get killed in an instant by Acnologia."

"There's gotta be something we can do," Leafa said, worried about her brother and boyfriend. "We can't just stand here!"

"If somehow we could give them an overdose of magic power…" Makarov mused. "I have an item made of dark magic from the book of Zeref that might help Kirito, but will we have enough power to help out Mataras?"

"I have my Flame Empress Armor," Erza suggested.

"I also have some fire magic," Makarov nodded. "But I still get the feeling that in order to boost their power, we'll need to give them more than just our magic."

"Maybe Litrosh will have some fire magic we can use," Leafa suggested.

"He can't have much left," Gray pointed out.

"It'll have to be enough," Erza said as she requipped into her fire armor. "Gray, if you haven anything fire or shadow related, now is the time to use it." He grunted and opened his menu to pull out a black crystal.

"I got this," he said. "A shadow lachryma. Not like what Gramps has, but it's still got some power in it."

"That'll do," Leafa said hurriedly as Mataras and Kirito were blasted back by an energy burst from Acnologia. "Let's give it to 'em!"

"Mataras!" Erza shouted, drawing his attention. "Catch!" She unleashed a barrage of fire at him, which he turned to embrace fully. Seeing this, Kirito looked over at Gray and Makarov, who threw their items at him. Yui flew him to intercept both items perfectly, and he immediately chomped down on the lachryma that Gray had selected.

Both boys felt their powers returning quickly, but not quite back up to full strength. Litrosh saw the ploy, but he also saw Acnologia targeting Mataras. Thus he ran his only option, charging right into the path of a new ether blast while shouting Mataras' name even as he unleashed a bright golden flame at his former master.

Mataras' eyes widened as he saw the white-blue energy pierce the body of his close friend. Then he was consumed by the golden flame magic, and he began to consume it without hesitation, knowing his friends' intentions. The fire warmed him from within, sparking a new fire in his heart. He felt it spreading throughout his entire being, and he bared his teeth in a primal, burning expression of rage while Kirito finished consuming the shadowy object that Makarov had tossed him.

As he watched Litrosh shatter in to pieces, Mataras' eyes glowed red and his skin began to change on his cheeks and forearms, becoming hard and scaly, like the armor of a dragon. Kirito's shadow energy seemed to stain his skin as it began to leak out from his body almost of its own will. Roars of tremendous power welled up from the depths of their souls, and the boss seemed to hesitate for the first time since the fight had begun.

"Whoa, what just happened?" Gray asked. "What's this, Gramps?"

"I've only heard rumors, but…" the old man mused as he backed out of the room's entrance a bit. "That must be the true form of the Dragon Slayers. I believe it's called the Dragon Force. And if the rumors are true, those boys are now the strongest players in the game, bar none." The room's shadows seemed to grow even darker as Kirito drew his sword and held it in his right hand while fashioning a second blade out of darkness to hold in his left. The air was noticeably hotter as Mataras unleashed a Brilliant Flame attack at the boss, causing the Fairy Tail wizards to shrink back from its destructive power.

"Okay, now we really should go," Gray said nervously. "An all-out battle between those three is gonna wreck whoever gets too close."

"I agree," Erza nodded. "We should get to safety- there's nothing more we can do here."

"Hmm," Makarov nodded, pulling on Leafa's arm, who seemed undecided. "Let's go, Leafa. Erza is right, we've done all we can here."

The girl looked back once at her brother and his best friend before nodding and running out the room with her guild mates. _You can do this,_ she told them both silently. _If no one else believes in you, I do. I believe in the twin dragons, Michael and Kazuto… The Slayers of Aincrad._

* * *

Mataras felt as though the power within him would cause him to explode unless he did something with it, so he used his flames to shoot forward with lightning speed to kick Acnologia in the face. Kirito followed up with no wasted movement to slash at the boss with his dual swords, biting deep into Acnologia's body. The boss roared angrily and unleashed a wing attack that forced them to retreat for a moment, but they would not stay down.

"So the dragons within have awoken," Acnologia muttered as he countered blows from both of them. "This does not sit well with me…"

" _Shut up_!" Mataras roared, spewing fire forth from his maw.

Acnologia regarded him with those burning yellow eyes of his for a moment before using a talon technique to bat away the flames threatening to roast him. "All dragons in my presence shall be slain," he stated flatly.

"Not this time!" Kirito shouted as he unleashed his signature combo, the Starburst Stream. It wasn't a proper technique in this game, but the movements were burned into his muscle memory, and he used it well to his advantage. "We've come too far!" he grunted as Acnoligia tried to pulverize him with another talon attack.

"We've lost too much!" Mataras added as he floored Acnologia with a Flame Elbow, giving Kirito room to stab him through with both of his swords. "And no _one_ and no _thing_ is going to stand between us and our family! _Fire Dragon ROAR!_ "

" _Shadow Dragon ROAR!_ " The twin bellows struck the floored boss with brutal force, and dark flames billowed all around them. But they both knew it wasn't over, so they leapt away before Acnologia could strike back with his Ether Dragon Slayer magic.

"Ah…" the boss' voice echoed throughout the chamber. "It's been many years since I've felt the thrill of a challenge…" He emerged from the flames, burnt and bruised a bit, but still mostly healthy.

"He's still got a lot of fight left in him!" Yui cried.

"Let's fix that," Mataras snarled. " _Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus PHOENIX SWORD!_ " His body erupted into golden flames that took the form of a massive bird as he rushed at the boss.

Acnologia's eyes went wide and the ghost of a smile touched his lips as he said, "Yes, truly, this is what I have sought. A worthy challenger." Impact.

A deafening explosion rocked the tower, but Kirito was not to be deterred from his course, either. "My turn," he said as he prepared his strongest attack. " _Dragon Slayer Secret Art: DEMON VOID!_ " The black sphere of eternal darkness shot froth from his grasp, even faster and stronger than from when he had used it against the boss Hades. It disappeared into the flames just as Mataras shot out from the results of his magic.

The fires drew into the sphere, like light being drained into a black hole, allowing the two brothers to see just when the attack struck Acnologia, who actually responded with proper force to the new attack.

" _Ether Dragon ETERNAL BREATH_!" he roared at the black sphere of doom. Not only did the attack shred Kirito's most powerful move, the energy smashed into both brothers, instantly and immediately putting them down on the ground, where the boss thought they belonged. Looking down at them with contempt, he snorted at their unmoving forms, satisfied that his work was done. "And so falls the last child of the dragons," he said as he walked away.

"Not so fast," a rough voice said from the ground. The boss turned around, surprised to see Mataras struggling to his feet. It was almost as though the system couldn't fathom how in the world he was getting up after taking such a beating. As if to add insult to injury, Kirito began to get to his feet as well.

"Stay down," Acnologia said flatly, pointing his fist at both of them and unleashing a nimbus of energy blasts that would spear them an innumerable amount of times, intent on making sure they stayed down this time. "You may be formidable opponents, but your defeat is inevitable." There was no threat implied in his voice, for there was no need. He was Acnologia- he was a threat to all who lived.

"The day I allow myself to be defeated when so many depend on me," Mataras snarled as he forced himself to dodge the attacks, "is the day I go back on my word. And I may be many things: a murderer, a warrior, a brother, a friend, a swordsman, a dragon slayer… But a liar is not one of them." His flames grew so hot, the floor beneath him began to soften and melt.

"We've got too much riding on this to just give up!" Kirito shouted. "We're the Moonlit Black Cats, and _we never give in_!" Mataras added his voice to Kirito's cry as he shouted, " _Advanced Dragon Slayer Secret Art!"_

"That again?" Acnologia snorted as he took a deep breath. "Let me remind why that's a stupid plan."

Both boys ignored him and shouted, as one, " _Crimson Void BLACK PHOENIX BLADE!_ " Mataras shot forward again, preceded by Kirito's Demon Void attack. The black sphere drew in his flames as the shot forth until he collided with it, causing his golden flames to become as dark as a moonless night.

" _Ether Dragon ROAR!_ " Acnologia shouted, spewing forth the raw energy from his open mouth. Mataras collided with the power, forcing him to come to a standstill as he strove to break through the immense magic power coming from the boss.

 _Asuna_ , he thought, pushing himself a bit further forward. _Sachi… The Cats… Everyone, all of them… Victoria…_ He gritted his teeth and went for it, throwing all of his willpower into one final blow, determined to see this through. _Keep fighting for everyone! Just as I always have! Just… a little more!_ "I will… not… _lose!_ " A final impact.

* * *

"Why did you pick a name that's so dark?" Sachi asked with a slightly cocked head as she looked over at Mataras, who was looking at his fishing line intently. They were on floor three of Sword Art Online on the riverside, where Mataras was attempting to catch some lunch. "I don't think you ever really explained that to me."

"I don't recall you asking before," he replied with wry smile. "But to answer your question, I wasn't exactly in a stable frame of mind when I came to this world. I didn't choose the name with the intention of making friends."

"You picked the name to scare people off?" she asked.

"I suppose you could say that," he shrugged as he started to yank on the line. "More like I chose the name to keep myself from making any friends, I think."

"Then…?" she made a gesture that seemed to say, 'How did we manage?'

"I'm not the same person I was when I first logged in here," he chuckled as he reeled in a healthy-sized bass. "My name may not change, but that doesn't mean I can't. Some core aspects of my personality will never change of course, but things like my attitude towards others…" He gave her a soft smile. "I told Asuna, and I'll tell you- not everything about this game is evil, unless you want it to be. If all you ever see in the world around you is darkness, that's all that you will find. But if you look for the light…" he gave her a one-armed hug that got her to smile. "It's hard to miss. And that's what I fight for now. This is why Mataras will always fight."

* * *

Acnoligia was dead at the feet of the Fire Dragon Slayer. Mataras spat at the body once before walking past it to come up to the massive doors on the other side of the room, joined quickly by Yui and an exhausted-looking Kirito. "Are you all right?" Mataras asked with a frown.

"Yeah," he gasped. "Just a little worn out."

"Hmm…" Mataras shrugged. "Oei, Yui," he said after a brief moment of hesitation. "What happened to Litrosh? Please tell me he's not dead."

"Unlikely," Yui shook her head. "I imagine that just like all the other exceed programs in the game, he will return when you log back on."

"But he's not an exceed anymore," Kirito frowned. "Won't that affect him somehow?"

"I'm not sure…" Yui said with a slight frown. "The worst it might do is that he won't be able to revert back to his original form in this game, but I'm certain that his core programming is safe- after all, it's stored in Uncle's NerveGear, not the IMO server."

"Good point," Kirito nodded, and Mataras felt a marked sense of relief.

"Very well," he said as he turned back to the door. "Let's get this over with." He shoved on the doors, but they refused to budge. "Erm…? Yui? I may need a hand with this."

"What's wrong?" Kirito asked as Yui put her paws on the door.

"The door won't open," Mataras growled, his flames springing to life in his hands. His Dragon Force had receded, but his fire was still hot.

"Daddy…" Yui gasped. "The door is locked by the system itself- nothing a player can do will open it!"

"Eh?!" Mataras and Kirito gasped. The Fire Dragon slayer immediately let loose a string of curses that caused Kirito to cover Yui's ears in a panic.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Kirito asked once Mataras stopped yelling.

"I can try to open the door by pulling a leaf out of Litrosh's book," Yui said. "If I can integrate my code into the door, maybe I can get it to open."

"Or we could look at this," Mataras said, his voice suddenly very calm.

"Huh?" Yui and Kirito said. Mataras bent over and scooped up an item that looked like a credit card, silver in color.

"Yui, scan this, if you please," he said. "I have a feeling that it may help us." Yui took the card from her uncle and closed her eyes in concentration. While she did, Kirito punched Mataras in the arm hard enough to make the other Dragon Slayer yelp in surprise.

"Oei!" he snapped.

"That's for cursing in front of Yui," he said sharply.

"All right, fine, I deserved that," he grumbled.

"Daddy! Uncle!" Yui exclaimed. "This is a system administrator's card!"

"Can it open the door?!" Kirito asked, hoping beyond hope.

"Yes!" she said as she concentrated again, this time drawing the card's codes into her own program. "I can open it in a moment!" Kirito and Mataras exchanged a serious look, then fierce grins.

The time had come.

"Let's bring 'em home."

* * *

 **Asuna: NO! NO HE DID NOT!**

 **Sachi: Of course he did.**

 **Asuna: WHY?!**

 **Sachi: He's Mataras, what did you expect? Of course he'll return in his usual style- by torturing everyone that waited so patiently with a cliffhanger.**

 **Asuna: WHYYYYYYYY?!**

 **Sachi: I just explained this.**

 **Asuna: AAAAAAAAAUGH!**

 **Sachi: Well, this is going nowhere fast... Looks like it's up to me to wrap it up.**

 **Asuna: I'LL FRIGGIN KILL HIM!**

 **Sachi: As Mataras mentioned earlier, several of his projects have been delayed, but he wants everyone to know that he is working triple time (he literally only slept three hours last night so that he could keep writing) to recover his work so that you may continue to enjoy his stories. Until next time, may you all be blessed, and we look forward to seeing you when Asuna and I are rescued from the Tower of Heaven.**

 **Asuna: THAT SON OF A-**


	27. Dragon Slayer Wrath

**A/N: All right, Asuna! You can stop your complaining now, because here it is! The infamous rescue chapter that so many people have been looking forward to! I enjoyed writing this scene once again, but with the Fairy Tail magic, it makes it all fresh again!**

* * *

Dragon Slayer Wrath

The two boys and Yui found themselves in a white hallway that failed to resemble to the dark stairway of the Tower of Heaven in any manner. "What is this place?" Kirito asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Yui said. "This place was never meant to be accessed by players, and I have no map data on it." She had reverted back into her child-like form as soon as they had been swallowed by blinding light that came from the opened gate.

"Then we find them the old-fashioned wa-" Mataras suddenly paused. "No, wait. I have a better idea. Kirito, you'll have to find them."

"Me?" he asked, surprised.

"Aye," Mataras nodded. "You. As Dragon Slayers, we have a ridiculous sense of smell. So if you can pick up on Asuna's scent, we should be able to find them." Kirito's face reddened rapidly as he realized that Mataras was right- he could very well smell Asuna out if he employed his enhanced sense of smell.

"Actually, I can just find Mommy by locating her player ID since it's identical to the one she had in SAO," Yui said mildly.

"Yes!" Kirito immediately seized the chance. "Can you find them, please?" Mataras' eyebrow went up as he smirked but he remained silent.

"Yes," Yui said as she closed her eyes in concentration. When she opened them, she took off running down the hallway, saying, "This way!" The boys were not far behind her.

* * *

They managed to make it to an area that somewhat resembled the Tower of Heaven's appearance, where a cage was set up at the end of a dark hallway. Yui rushed straight down it, crying out, "Mommy!" The three of them stopped in front of the cage's door to look within and see the widened eyes of two young girls. One had long, flowing, beautiful chestnut hair, and the other had the color of midnight atop her head.

Yui waved her hand and the door shattered into orange sparks. Not even waiting for them to finish disappearing, Yui dashed inside and leapt into the arms of Asuna, who opened her arms wide to receive her daughter. Both of them were crying freely, and Mataras could not stop from smiling brightly at the sight, especially when Sachi joined the embrace to make it a group hug.

Kirito moved forward slowly, a smile on his own face as Asuna looked up at him with a tearful smile greet her husband. "Hey," he said as he hugged the three girls. "Sorry it took us so long."

"Us?" Sachi asked as she smiled up at Kirito. In response, the Shadow Dragon Slayer turned around to look at Mataras, who was standing just outside the door, waiting patiently. It took the two girls a moment to recognize him, as he had undergone the biggest physical changes of the two of them, what with his red hair and eyes.

But it wasn't a minute before Sachi squealed and hurled herself at the boy, who caught her up and danced around in a few undignified steps before putting her down, laughing the whole while. She leaned into his embrace, the fire in his heart banishing the chill of fear that had taken root in her soul. She couldn't stop smiling and crying, because her brother that had been dead to her these past two months was alive and coming to her rescue.

"You came back," she cried.

"Of course I did," he said softly, using the gentle tone he had reserved only for her. "I'm not letting my little sister spend an eternity in a virtual prison." She responded by tightening her embrace around him.

Then she pulled back, a curious smile on her face. "You're different," she said. "I don't know how to describe it, but you're different."

"Good different or bad different?" he joked. She giggled and put her head back on his chest, listening to the warrior's drumbeat that she had missed all this time. Her brother was back, and she knew that all would be well.

* * *

Asuna's eyes widened for a moment when she recognized the boy hugging Sachi, but then they creased with the smile that split her face. "Of course he survived," she giggled.

"Uncle is really tough, isn't he?" Yui said as she looked at the sight Mataras and Sachi, reunited at last.

"The toughest," Kirito said with a rueful grin. "He wasn't about to let a little thing like death stop us from rescuing Asuna and Sachi." Turning back to his wife he added, "I'm sorry we took so long to get here."

"No, not at all," she said as she touched her forehead to his in a quiet moment of joy.

"Hey Yui, can you log them out from here?" Kirito asked after a minute had passed.

"No…" Her little face became crestfallen as she said, "Their codes are locked by complicated security measures. I can't get them out without a GM console."

"I know where of those are," Asuna said, her expression becoming serious. But before she could say anything else, the group grunted in pain as gravity intensified out of nowhere, forcing them all to their knees.

"Everyone!" Yui grunted as her form began to disintegrate. "Something… bad… is coming! Be… careful!" And she shattered, much to Kirito and Asuna's horror.

"What… now?!" Mataras growled.

"Well, well," a familiar, sneering voice said. "The last thing I expected was to find two lizards crawling around in my queen's cage. No doubt looking to get cozy, the little cold-blooded snakes, but there's only room for me in here!" A wizard dressed in black with a white sash stepped into view. He had handsome features that looked incredibly fake to Mataras. The only thing that seemed to reflect his true character was his black hair and glowing red eyes.

"Oh, you have go to be kidding me…" Kirito growled. "It's Sugou!"

"Ah-ah…" the man grinned dementedly. "I'd really prefer it if you didn't use that name here, Kirigaya. You should really address me as _Lord Zeref_!" And he delivered a brutal kick to Kirito that sent him sprawling.

"Just what we need," Mataras grunted as he tried to stand. "A walking, talking Pharaoh complex." Zeref/Sugou responded by giving him the same treatment that he had Kirito. The gravity intensified further, preventing the Black Cats from getting to their feet. Sachi passed out from the strain of the heavy magic, and the sight began triggering Mataras' rage blood.

"You know, I do have to wonder…" Zeref said as he leered down at the two boys, who were glaring at him with hate. "How did you two manage to get up here? I saw a strange program running earlier… Is that it?"

"Shove off," Mataras snarled. "Like we'll tell you anything."

"Oh, you won't have to," Zeref chuckled as he picked up Kirito's sword. "I'll just ask your brain directly."

"What…?" Kirito tried to ask.

"Oh come on," Zeref sneered. "You don't actually think that I built all of this just for kicks, do you? I've got three hundred SAO players working hard to finish my creation! A way to finally control a human soul with the flip of a switch! The power of a god!" He began to cackle maniacally, drunk with power.

" _Fire Dragon_ …" Mataras snarled. " _ROAR_!" Flames spewed out of his mouth, but before they could strike Zeref, they sputtered and died.

"Ah-ah…" Zeref giggled. "The audience isn't supposed to be part of the show!" And he kicked Mataras in the face before he could hurl another breath attack just before stabbing Kirito with his own sword, pinning him to the floor. "Now then…" he said, his glowing red eyes fixed on Asuna. "Time for the real fun to begin…"

"Sugou." Mataras' voice was flat, unemotional. When the black wizard looked back at him, he was still on the floor, but his eyes were blazing red to match his own. "Touch her, and I will kill you." There was no threat in the tone- just a simple statement of fact.

Sugou thought this was hilarious, and he shouted, "System command! Reduce pain absorption from level ten to level seven!" Kirito grunted in pain as he felt real agony drill into his back where the sword was at. Then he conjured a ball of bure blackness and held it above Mataras' head with a demented grin on his face.

"My Ankhseram Death Magic kills anything it touches," Sugou giggled as the orb began to descend at an incredibly slow pace. "So here's what I'm going to do. I'll increase the pain gradually so that Kirito has something to look forward to while Mataras here can contemplate the futility of his pitiful efforts. And once the pain absorber hits three, it'll start affecting your real body- I wonder of Mataras can survive instant death when the pain absorber hits zero?"

"You'd be surprised," Asuna grunted as Sugou yanked her to her feet and fastened her wrists with chains that dropped down from the dark ceiling.

"What was that, dearie?" he said as he moved to tear off her top.

"She said…" Mataras snarled as he got up on one knee. "I'll survive anything you throw at me, you damned snake."

"And I told you to stay down!" the other man shrieked, hitting Mataras with a burst of gravity magic that pinned him flat. Then he moved quickly to tear off the top of Asuna's skimpy two-piece outfit. "In a few moments, all your precious Red Swordsman is going to be feeling is oblivion!"

"That…" he grunted as flames began to emanate from his body. "Or disappointment." Sugou turned around with wide eyes to see Mataras getting to his feet slowly, despite the vigorous pounding he had received. "Go on," he snarled as he tried to straighten. "Flip. That. Coin."

"System login," Kirito grunted as he too, rose up painfully. "ID Heathcliff. Remove all supervisor privileges from ID Zeref." A gold light rose out of Zeref's body, and his eyes went wide with shock, even as the gravity magic disappeared from existence.

"What?!" he shrieked. "An ID that outranks mine?! That's not possible! I'm the ruler of the world, its creator, its god!"

"There's only one God," Mataras growled as the black sphere above his head vanished as well. "And you can't even claim originality, Nuboyuki. You stole everything in this world, including its people. You're _nothing_ with no _one_ that cares for you. Such is your fate."

"You little…" Sugou was too furious for words.

Kirito looked over at Asuna, who was crying, but she met his gaze with a soft smile. Mataras saw the look in his brother's eyes, and a quick burst of flame freed Asuna from the chains, and allowed her to cover herself with her arms. Despite not looking in her direction, his aim was perfect, for she was not even singed.

"Hey Mataras, you got this?" Kirito asked. "I'm sure this'll only take you a second. And I think our girls have seen enough of this guy for a lifetime." Mataras nodded once and took a fighting stance while Kirito moved to be next to his wife. When he was able to hold her protectively, he looked back at Sugou with a hard gaze, he said, "System commands. Negate the pain absorption and grant fixed status 'Dragon Force' to ID Mataras."

"Z-Zero?!" Sugou gasped as Mataras' skin turned scaly. "Please! Not that!"

Kirito's voice hardened another notch as he said, "Did you just flinch?"

"Because _he_ never flinched, no matter how dire things got," Mataras growled. "You know his name: Akihiko Kayaba!"

"K-Kayaba?!" Zeref screeched. "No! NO! You're supposed to be dead!" He began screaming at the ceiling while Mataras rolled his eyes and Kirito began rifling through a complicated-looking menu to log out Asuna. "How?! You're supposed to be dead! You were always doing this to me- taking everything that was rightfully mine!"

" _SHUT UP!_ " Mataras roared as he smashed his fist into Zeref's face, sending him flying down the hallway. He stood in between his family and the monster that had tried to destroy them, eyes blazing silver like they had in the days of Aincrad. Zeref staggered to his feet, every part of his body aching as he got up to see Mataras walking towards him with fire in his fists.

"S-Stay back!" he cried, a black sphere conjuring in his hand as he took two steps back.

" _You made my sisters cry_!" he bellowed as he shot forward, too fast for Zeref to follow. " _And I won't let you get away with that!_ " His iron fist smashed his enemy straight through the floor, followed by a sword horn that sent them both crashing through several levels. " _Hurt them again and I'LL KILL YOU!_ "

"Aaaaaugh!" Zeref screamed as he felt his body being broken, again and again. And as far as his mind knew, this was all real. The pain he would be in once he got back to the real world would be considerable.

"I thought you were supposed to the greatest of them all in this world?!" Mataras spat as he suddenly reversed his grip on Zeref and threw him back up the way he had come. "Where has your bravado gone now?!" He shot back up and crashed into his enemy with brutal force.

"No!" Zeref screamed. "I can't lose to you!" He tried to strike Mataras with a burst of his death magic, but he simply dodged the blow. Their momentum broke just as they re-entered the level that Mataras had sent them down from, and they leaped apart. "My research will change everything! It will make me a god!"

"And you'll fulfill that selfish desire by taking away the rights of everyone you experimented on?!" Mataras shouted back, his flames becoming white-hot.

"I don't care what happens to feeble-minded fools like you!" Zeref shouted, bringing his hands together to form an arcane symbol. "Now die!" Blackness descended from above, which would serve to crush Mataras with raw death magic.

But he simply glowered at Sugou and leaped backwards, the last of his restraint burned away. "Sugou Nuboyuki, your time is up!" he shouted. "I'm sending you straight to hell!" He took a stance familiar to Kirito, and the Shadow Dragon Slayer braced himself for what would come next.

"Die, _damn you!_ " Sugou screamed as he unleashed a shockwave that would envelop Mataras in death the instant it touched him.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art_ ," he snarled. " _Crimson Lotus EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!_ " The strongest of his secret arts swallowed Zeref's magic and burnt it to ash before doing the same to the caster. Zeref tried to scream, but the heat of the flames was too intense for him to do so. As far as his senses was concerned, his flesh was actually being melted and then incinerated by the ferocious magic. The pain was impossible to endure, and his consciousness took the only way out it could and shut down. Thus the threat of Zeref and Sugou was gone forever. In his arrogance, Sugou had paved the way for his own demise.

"Gah…" Mataras sighed as he sunk down to his knees, the awesome power of the fire dragon leaving him as Kirito too sank to the ground. "We did it…"

"Nah," his brother grinned tiredly. "You did it this time." Mataras looked at him with a tired smile, noticing that both Asuna and Sachi were gone from the room.

"You sent them back?" he asked wearily.

"Yeah," Kirito nodded. "Sachi said she hopes to see you soon."

"Then we'd better get going," Mataras started to say, but Kirito made a motion for him to stay put. "What is it?"

"I know you're there, Heathcliff," the Black Swordsman said boldly while looking up.

A second later, a soft glow of light descended and turned into a familiar figure wearing a white lab coat. "Good to see you both again, Kirito, Mataras," he said as he landed on the ground.

"Never thought I'd say this, but it's good to see you too," Kirito grinned awkwardly. "Guess you're alive after all."

"You could say that, in a way," the man said in his usual flat, emotionless tone. "But it would be more accurate to say that I'm more of an afterimage of the man that was Akihiko Kayaba- an echo."

"And you're here because…?" Mataras asked in his typical blunt fashion.

"He gave me the system login that let you beat Sugou," Kirito grinned. "So we should be thanking him."

"No thanks are necessary," the older man said quickly. "Mataras' attitude is warranted, for too much has happened between us for us to treat one another as friends." He gave Mataras a grim smile as he said, "Every debt must be repaid."

"What do you want?" Mataras asked.

"I want you two to take this," he said as he handed Kirito a shining golden egg. "I call it the seed. When it sprouts, you'll know what it is. But what you do with it is up to you. You can even delete it if you wish. However…" He looked back at Mataras and then Kirito once again before adding, "If you have any emotion other than hatred towards my world, you'll take care of it." Kirito stiffened with surprise, and Mataras raised an eyebrow, but neither one of them said a word in response.

"Well then," Heathcliff said as he began to fade away. "I must be going. May we meet again, Moonlit Black Cats." There was a blinding burst of light, and then he was gone.

"Last time I told him 'fat chance', but I don't think I'll take that risk again," Mataras said after a quiet moment of contemplation.

"Hey Yui?" Kirito asked while looking around. "Are you still there?"

"Daddy!" a cheery voice said just before its owner appeared and gave him a big hug. "I'm here! I'm okay!" As he spun her around in a circle, she added, "I hid myself in the local memory of your NerveGear to escape being deleted."

"Man, that's a relief," Kirito grinned as he set her down and knelt beside her. "Your Mommy and Sachi got out safe, too."

"Really? They're free?" Yui exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so glad, Daddy!" And she hugged him again.

"We all are," Mataras said quietly, a slight smile on his face.

"We have to go for a bit, Yui," Kirito said, his countenance growing serious. "We need to go and on Asuna and Sachi in the real world. Also…" He frowned slightly as a thought struck him. "What'll happen to you if this world goes down? It might after everything that's happened here…"

"Don't worry," Yui chirped. "Since I have my core program in your NerveGear, I'll be with you wherever you go!" Kirito's expression turned into one of relief as he hugged one more time.

"Time to go," Mataras said as he ruffled Yui's hair gently before pulling up his menu. "We'll meet up with you again soon." Kirito gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek before pulling up his own menu. They hit their logout button together, exiting the world of magic and monsters.

* * *

Michael's eyes snapped open to see Suguha hovering over him through the visor of his NerveGear. She gave a little shriek of surprise and all but fell over backwards in surprise. He simply sat up with a wry smile and removed the helmet from his head even as Kazuto arose from his bed.

"S-Sorry!" she stammered. "I got kinda worried when you didn't log out right away." Michael put aside his helmet and threw his arms around Suguha, pulling her in close with a smile on his face.

"No need to worry," he chuckled. "We're all okay."

"Really?" she gasped. "You found them?"

"Yeah," Kazuto grinned as he moved quickly to his closet to find his shoes. "Even better, we got them out."

"So they're waiting for you at the hospital?" Suguha asked happily.

"Aye," Mataras nodded as he released his hold on his girlfriend. "We'd best make our way over there."

"Awesome!" Suguha giggled. "Wait, who're you gonna visit first? Asuna or Sachi?"

"I think we're gonna go our own separate ways for right now," Mataras said with a slight grin as he winked at Kazuto. "I'm sure a certain someone wants to go see his wife without someone there that will simply poke fun at him the whole while."

"Yeah, something like that," the other boy muttered as he put on his second shoe and began doing up the laces. Then he looked at his sister and asked, "Hey, Sugu, do you wanna come with me?"

"I'd love to," she said with a small smile. "But I think you both should go on your own for them being awake for the first time." Both boys exchanged a glance then they pulled Suguha into a group hug.

"Thank you," Kazuto said.

"For everything," Michael added. "Both out here and in-game." And he planted a quick kiss on her cheek which made her blush furiously as they both pulled away.

"Y-You're welcome," she stammered. "But, you'd better get going!" She pulled away and pointed at the clock with a smile still on her face. "They're probably waiting for you by now."

"And I'd say they've waited long enough," Mataras said as he moved to slip on his own shoes. "Kazuto, get going. No need for you to wait on me."

"Thanks bro," he said as he dashed out of the room, eager to be on his way. "Call me when she's done crying, okay?"

"Just mind that you aren't crying when I call!" Michael shouted as Kazuto laughed up the stairway. His shoes were on a moment later, and he grinned fiercely at Suguha, who returned the cocky expression. _We're nearly there_ ¸ he thought as he dashed out of the house to grab Mr. Kirigaya's bicycle. _The Moonlit Black Cats are nearly whole once more._

* * *

 **Asuna: I'm tempted to call cliffhanger on this because we didn't make it to the hospital scene.**

 **Mataras: Don't you dare!**

 **Asuna: Nah, I'm just kiddin, hehe. Seriously though, it's good to be out of there.**

 **Sachi: I agree. But I'm looking forward to seeing how Brother brings the Fairy Dance arc to a close next chapter!**

 **Mataras: Aye, that's right. Next chapter is the last one in this arc- but not story, don't worry. I have one more arc planned out that is actually not tied to the original SAO canon? What's it going to be about? Stick around an find out.**

 **Asuna: Also, since you keep forgetting this one, there's a story we'd like to recommend to our readers. It's called the Arctic Swordsman- Watchman of the Stars by** Marcus Cersy. AKA Ion Gree. **It features Mataras and the Moonlit Black Cats, but this time they have a few more recruits in their ranks. So if you ever wanted to see the guild expand a bit, this is the story for you!**

 **Sachi: It's a little rough around the edges, but Marcus is making progress, so please do give his story a chance!**

 **Mataras: And for the record I didn't forget! I just... don't remember that I know things sometimes.**

 **Asuna: You done?**

 **Mataras: Yeah...**

 **Sachi: Next time: The World Reborn!**


	28. The World Reborn

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you for coming back to witness the end of the Fairy Dance arc! It sure has been fun, and I know many of you have enjoyed this just as much- if not, more- than I have! Don't fret though, because we have one more arc after this chapter, and then it's on to even more adventures with the Red Swordsman in another, final rewrite of the SAO saga!**

 **In addition, soon after I finish my Fire Emblem rewrite, I will begin releasing my highly anticipated Star Sword II story! (I know it was supposed to be out already, but cut me some slack- I've had the flu, and my computer had to undergo a total factory reset, which means I lost all my stuff)**

 **But without further interruption, Link, start!**

* * *

The World Reborn

Michael pedaled as fast as his body would let him through the cold, ignoring the snow that clung to his frame, draining the heat from his body. His mind burned only with one thought, and one thought only: _Sachi, I'm nearly there._ But he knew that nearly wasn't good enough. He had to make to her before he could finally lay his warrior spirit to rest.

Suddenly, a new thought entered his mind, and his pace slackened just a bit. _Is this the end of Mataras, the Red Swordsman?_ When he noticed that he was slowing down, he cursed himself and redoubled his efforts to keep moving. _No matter for now,_ he decided. _If Mataras can find peace in this reunion, then perhaps it's time to do what Sister suggested… And find a new focus._ He kept the thought in the back of his mind for the rest of his trip, but it did not vanish completely.

* * *

When he finally made it into the hospital after securing Mr. Kirigaya's bike, he was confronted by a receptionist. "Sir, unless this is an emergency, you'll have to come back tomorrow," she said. "Visiting hours are over."

"Oh?" Michael smirked. "I can cause an emergency if that's what it takes to get in here." The lady behind the desk stiffened, and she reached for her phone, taking his words as a threat. Seeing this, Michael chuckled and said, "Are you kidding me with that? If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done it without any warning. No…"

He reached up to place his fingers on a sensitive spot on his neck as he said, "Normally, I don't use pressure points, seeing as they take too long to use in combat. But if I were to knock myself out, you'd have to admit me, no?"

"You wouldn't," the lady said. She didn't sound too convinced of that.

"Try me," Michael snapped. "I've got a little sister in here that I've been waiting to see for more than two months, and visiting hours be blasted, I will see her- no matter how I get to do it." When the receptionist hesitated, Michael added, "But if you really prefer, there are other ways of getting you to let me in. For example, tell me, how do you find your job?"

"Huh?" she replied, unsure of how to respond to the boy's sudden change in topic. _Maybe I should get someone from the mental ward,_ she thought. _He doesn't look very stable._

Michael interrupted her thoughts as he said, "If you like your job, you'll let me in. Otherwise, I have a government official that owes me and my brother a great deal. He's obliged to me in making sure that I can see Sayuri Motodato at any time I choose. And unless you want me to get him to pull strings to have you sacked, you'll let me through." Michael waited for her response, secure in the knowledge that while Kikuoka wouldn't have her fired, he could definitely get him in the hospital. And if that didn't work, there was always his nerve-pinch.

"Okay, I'm gonna get some people down here to help you," she said with a nervous smile. Michael stiffened at that.

"Help me… how?" he asked.

"Look, I understand that all of this must seem real to you, but-"

"You think I'm a stoner?!" Michael shouted, completely taken aback.

"Sweetie, you need to calm down," the lady said sternly as she hit a button under the desk, a sound that did not escape Michael's ears.

"Did you just…?" He glowered at her. "No… No you did not."

"Trust me, everything will be okay, you just need to stay calm," she tried to say in a soothing tone, but he would have none of it.

"Get lost," he snarled as he started to walk towards the elevator. _So much for knocking myself out- that'd just make their jobs easier!_

"Hey, you can't go over there!" she said as she started after him.

"Let him go," a new voice said. However, it was not unfamiliar to Michael's ears. "He has clearance." He turned around to see a tired-looking Kikuoka standing in the lobby, still dressed as sharp as ever. The man made a shooing motion, indicating that he would handle the matter.

"Sir, who are y-" The lady stopped talking as Kikuoka flashed his badge at her.

"I'm part of the SAO Recovery Force," he said smoothly. "My young associate over there is one of my top consultants, and…" Michael heard no more as the doors to the elevator shut, and he relaxed a bit. But only a bit.

Until he had his sister in his arms, safe and sound, he would not rest.

* * *

The elevator ride seemed to take an eternity to the impatient young man. "I should have just ran up the bloody stairs," he growled to himself. As if on cue, the doors slid open. "Finally." He was slipping through them before they were even halfway open and making a mad dash down the hallway.

In fact, he ran so fast that when he tried to stop at her door, he ended up tripping and falling flat on his back. Ignoring the impact to his back and head, he shot up to his feet and grabbed the door handle. Breathing a quick prayer, he opened the door as quietly as he could.

His view was initially obstructed by a curtain that obscured half of the room, so he stepped quietly to move around it and gaze at the bed that had held Sachi of the Moonlit Black Cats for more than two years.

Sayuri Motodato was sitting up straight in her bed, cradling her NerveGear, staring at the snow that was falling from the darkened sky. She was thin, frail, and pale, but Michael thought that he had never been so happy to see anyone in his life.

Knowing from personal experience that her hearing would not be at its best, he moved to stand at the edge of her bed, just outside of her peripheral vision, and said one word: "Sister."

She smiled, closed her eyes, and turned to look up at Michael, the light in her eyes just as bright as he remembered in their final days in Aincrad. If nothing else, the light seemed even brighter than he recalled. She set aside her helmet and reached out to him without a word, only a small gasp escaping her mouth.

"Don't push yourself," he said soothingly as he moved to sit beside her. "You haven't used your vocal chords in over two years, so don't try too hard to talk. You might damage your throat if you do."

She smiled brighter before trying to raise her arms around him, but lacked the strength to do so. Michael took pity on her and gently, slowly, raised her arms so that she could hug him for the very first time in real life. "Mmm…" she said hoarsely.

"Eh?" he said, wondering what she was trying to say.

"Mi… k…" she tried again. He pulled back from his embrace just enough to look her in the eye, but not break her fragile grip on him. When he did, she tried once again. "Mi…chael."

His eyebrows shot up, and a smile split his face. Seeing this, she managed to croak out, "I… love you… Michael… Brother…" She sagged, as if speaking had taken too much of her strength.

Her brother leaned her back, slowly, gently, afraid to hurt her. He knew that she had always been delicate in real life- and for some time in Sword Art Online, he reflected- but now it seemed as though she would shatter if she sneezed. But as he laid her back in her bed, he smiled at her and replied, "I love you too, Sayuri. My precious little sister." He touched his forehead to hers, and unexpectedly, allowed some tears to leak from his eyes.

"Brother…?" she asked, concerned.

"Sorry," he said as he wiped at his eyes. "It's nothing."

"You… never cried without… a good reason," she insisted. "Why do you cry…?"

"Because now you're home," he said with a smile as he continued to wipe at his eyes. "And now… the Red Swordsman is no more." He chuckled, his shoulders shaking a bit.

"No." Sayuri's voice was firm, considering her circumstances.

"Eh?"

"I said no," she replied, grasping at his hand with as much strength as she could muster. "You might be Michael… But Mataras' courage… and power…" She touched his heart with a finger for a brief moment before letting her hand go limp. "Those came from there. So unless you've lost those… Mataras lives… in you. We're one and the same… the player and the avatar… The same strengths and weaknesses…"

Michael's eyes widened briefly, but then he smiled even more broadly. "I guess I'm not the only one that's changed, eh?" he said lightly. Then he kissed her on the brow, right before saying, "Welcome home, Sayuri Motodato."

"Thanks," she sighed with a smile as she closed her eyes. "It's good to be back… Michael…" Then she was fast asleep, her breathing deep and even. So she didn't see when her brother looked up at the window to behold a sight he would never forget.

Amidst the falling snow, three figures stood just outside the window. The first was dressed like a casual teenager, with jeans and a red hoodie. His hair was a soft brown and his eyes were alight with laughter and life, the look of an innocent child. The second was dressed all in red, a jagged one-handed sword strapped to his back. His black hair fell down to partially cover his face, and the eye that was visible was glowing sliver with all the unadulterated rage of his soul. The last one was grinning confidently, dressed in a mix of red and black light armor, armed only with his fists. His red hair and eyes were alight with a fire that burned steadily despite the falling snow.

Michael stared at them without blinking, unable to look away for even a second. As he looked on, his eyes misted a bit, and the three shades seemed to blur together, even as they walked away from the window. He blinked once, and a new figure took the place of three ghosts. A pale young man with dark brown hair- not quite black- and equally dark eyes stood in their place, a red sword on his back and bright flames in his hands. Mataras nodded once to Michael before he turned around and walked out into the night.

The following months sped by quickly for Michael and his family, mostly because so much happened in them. For starters, Sugou Nuboyuki was found dead with an Amusphere on his head, which baffled the coroners. By all accounts, it made no sense, until an anonymous tip let them know that just before his death, the pain absorbers built into the rig had been removed. In short, his mind had not been able to take the sheer amount of agony that it assumed was actually being inflicted on his body, so he essentially died from a heart attack.

With the matter of Asuna's immediate suitor dead and buried, Michael moved quickly to protect her and Kazuto's relationship. Upon finally being able to hear his parent's last will and testament, he made the pleasant discovery that his father's work with the government had left him a considerable amount of wealth, and he immediately put it to good use.

First and foremost, he took care of Sayuri's accumulated medical bills, including her subsequent rehabilitation costs. Secondly, he paid back everything he felt he owed the Kirigayas, much to their initial protest. However, after enough haggling, he was able to get them to agree to accept his payment, and the matter was settled. He also bought himself a nice house in the same neighborhood as his brother's family- just to keep an eye on them, he joked.

When it came to the matter of Asuna's suitors, Michael had a word in private with the senior Yuuki. It was one day in early spring while everyone else was still in school, that Michael was able to secure the meeting.

* * *

"I appreciate you taking the time to see me under such vague circumstances," Michael said as they sat down in the man's home office. "I hope retirement is treating you well?" After the events of IMO, RCT Progress collapsed on itself, and partly out of shame, Asuna's father had taken an early retirement.

"More or less," the older man chuckled. "The truth is, I'm not used to having all this free time- I have no idea what to do with myself."

"Well, I might have an idea for what to do about that," Michael said with a small smile. "However, that's not why I'm here today."

"No, I shouldn't think so," Shouzou said as he looked Michael in the eyes. "You said in your email that what you have to say to me is of the utmost importance to both of us. I'll admit, my curiosity was aroused, so if you don't mind, don't keep me dangling." He smiled, but Michael could also see that he was serious.

"Very well, I'll cut straight to the point," Michael said firmly. "The suitors coming to see your daughter must cease immediately. She won't accept any of them."

Shouzou was nothing less than taken aback by both the subject and the blunt tone in which it was delivered, but he kept calm. As he drew in a breath to speak, he reflected that it was a good thing Michael had approached him about this, and not his wife. "Michael, I understand that you and my daughter are good friends-" he began, but Michael cut him off, his dark eyes flashing dangerously.

"Asuna is my sister in all but blood," he said firmly. "We have fought together, cried together, rejoiced with one another… We love one another as family ought to. But there is another who cares for her more deeply than anyone on this planet- perhaps even more than you. And that man is the only one she'll consent to be with for the rest of her life."

"Who is this man?" Shouzou asked with a frown. "Wait, no, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Michael, I know that you are from a background that gives you the right to marry the one you love, and so I can understand where you're coming from. But it's different for people of my family's station."

"Only if you let it be," Michael replied, his tone still blunt and uncompromising. "Perhaps having all of this success truly is what makes you happy, sir. And I can understand that. But after our time and adventures together in Aincrad…" He paused, many memories washing through his mind. "Asuna is not the same hesitant, uncertain girl who borrowed her brother's NerveGear out of idle curiosity. She's a skilled, confident warrior, with a will of iron. She knows what she wants, and she will fight to get it."

"Are you saying that she will fight her own family over this?" Shouzou asked seriously as he stood up.

Michael shot up to his feet to match the older man in height as he replied, "She doesn't have to. But if you insist on telling her that the only way to happiness is through a prosperous career, you will not only make her miserable, you make an enemy out of her. And from what I understand, her mother is but a step away from pushing their relationship to that stage of hostility." Shouzou's eyes flickered away for a moment, knowing that Michael was right on that score in particular.

Seeing his hesitation, Michael pressed his advantage, saying, "I know it must be hard to trust in your daughter to make the right decisions. But if I may say, sir, you don't know how strong she really has become. And if you would only meet with the one she wishes to spend her life with, you would see just how happy they make each other."

Shouzou's eyes showed a new light- one of curiosity. "Could you arrange for that?" he asked after a quiet moment. "I fear that if I were to make the suggestion to Asuna, she would fear it as a ploy on her mother's behalf."

"I can see that happening," Michael said dryly, though he smiled a bit. "If you now have so much time on your hands, perhaps we can have dinner at my own home this Friday? It's smaller than what you have, but I promise it will be an enjoyable evening, if nothing else."

"This young man that you speak of…" Shouzou said after another moment of contemplation. "It's Kirigaya, isn't it?"

Michael hesitated, but he saw no point in lying directly to Asuna's father. "It is, sir," he nodded. "I hope that you'll put aside his social standing for one night just long enough to see his character- and the way that he regards your daughter."

Shouzou looked into the eyes of the young man before him. They were dark, serious, and above all else, they were honest and unwavering. The older Yuuki finally nodded and said, "Very well. Mind you, I've yet to make a decision about Asuna's suitors, but until I meet with Kirigaya as you've suggested, I will put a hold on their advances. And I will keep an open mind- both ways, I hope you understand- about her future."

"I ask for nothing more of you today, sir," Michael said as he bowed from his waist to a respectful level.

"Then I shall be at your house on Friday at six o' clock, if that suits you," Shouzou said with a slight smile.

"It does," Michael nodded. "Thank you for your time, sir."

"Michael, before you go, I would ask one more thing," Shouzou said before he could step out of the office. When he turned around and raised an eyebrow, he asked the young man, "You really do care about Asuna, don't you?"

"As I said before, I think of her as family," Michael nodded. "And I don't lie about my family, or to them, either."

"But you do lie about other things, then?" Shouzou joked with a grin.

"Oh yes, sir," Michael smirked as he tapped the side of his nose. "Everyone has a few secrets to protect, don't they?" Then he walked away.

"That we do," Shouzou said heavily as Michael left the room. "That we do."

* * *

"You did _what_?!" Kazuto gasped, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.

"Do you want her dad's support, or not?" Michael snapped. "If you're serious about keeping your promise, you'll do whatever you can to make peace with her family, as quickly as possible."

"C'mon, Kirito," Asuna giggled as she gave him a one-armed hug. "My dad is cool. He never gave you a hard time about seeing me in the hospital, remember?" Michael let loose a quiet sigh of relief. At least she seemed to be on board with the idea.

"Yeah, but…" The boy paled. "He didn't think that I was anything more than a good friend of yours. Now he's gonna be watching me a lot more carefully."

"Just be yourself, as corny as that sounds," Michael chuckled. "As long as you do that, he'll probably like you better than me at the end of the night."

"I'd say that's a safe bet," a new voice said. "It's easier to like most people better than you."

"Hmm, as I recall, you were whistling a rather different tune when we got off the mountain of floor fifty-five, Rika," Michael said dryly a she turned around, his smile gone. "But believe or not, some people appreciate the genuine words of others."

Rika, otherwise known as Lisbeth the Blacksmith was standing next to Keiko, who used to be known as the Beast-tamer, Silica. The latter moved in between them and said with a nervous expression, "C'mon now, Rika… There's no need to be all mean to Michael…" While she hadn't connected to Michael on the same level as his guild mates, Silica definitely looked up to Mataras and the other Black Cats with a good deal of respect.

"Hmph," the former pinkette huffed with her arms crossed. "What's he even doing here? It's not like mister millionaire is in school anyway."

"First of all, none of your beeswax," Michael snapped, Mataras' fire coming to light in his dark eyes. "Second of all, keep giving me trouble, and I'll let every player that you and Agil swindled together exactly where you live."

She paled as she said, "You wouldn't."

"I would have done it in Aincrad, and I'll do it here," he said flatly. "So do yourself a favor, toothpick-maker." She reddened as he walked away with a confident smile on his face. "Get on my good side, and stop trying to push all of my buttons."

"Rrgh…" she steamed while Asuna simply face-palmed, knowing that Lisbeth wouldn't be able to resist one last sally. "Yeah, well… good luck getting a girlfriend with that attitude!"

"Don't need luck!" he called back cheerily with a sharp gleam in his eye that made Rika very uncomfortable. "Just tact, timing, and an affection that goes both ways. You should try it!" Then he was gone into the building.

"Who does he think he is?!" she growled. "He drives me crazy!" Asuna sighed, knowing that her friend was a very one-track type of person whose passion bubbled very quickly near the surface. But sometimes, just sometimes, she wanted to smack her upside the head.

"He's the guy that's dating my sister," Kazuto remarked offhandedly. Everyone stared at him with wide eyes, most of them with disbelief, one with outrage.

"Er, Kirito…" Asuna said nervously. "Remember what we talked about?"

"Huh?" he said, genuinely confused. Then he saw the outrage in Lisbeth's bearing, and he immediately started to back away in fear. "Oh, right. Heh heh… Uh, my bad, guys…"

"Mataras has been doing _WHAT?!_ " she screamed before trying to grab Kazuto's jacket.

"He _would_ forget to keep a secret like that," Asuna sighed as she watched Kazuto dodge the lunge and start running from a very frustrated Rika.

"I suppose it was too much to hope for," Silica giggled.

* * *

"Hey there," Michael said as he walked into a classroom, a visitor badge around his neck. "How was class today?" He bent down to give Sayuri a hug so that she wouldn't have to strain herself to get up. She smiled as he pulled back up and rolled her wheelchair a pace backwards.

He looked her over, proud of her for making the progress she had. Since she had been frail to begin with, she wasn't as rehabilitated as most of the people that had been rescued from Inner Magic Online, but she was still trying her hardest. As a matter of fact, Sayuri's mother had mentioned to Michael that she'd never seen her daughter push herself so hard before. But it was paying off. Sayuri was still very thin, but color was returning to her face, and she didn't look like a skeleton inside a bag of skin.

"Class wasn't too bad, except for the math exam we had during home period," she answered. "Art class was a lot of fun, especially with Asuna." This kind of conversation was a regular occurrence since Michael was usually the one that came to pick her up from school.

"Why's that?" he asked as he started wheeling her out of the room.

"Because she's the worst of us," Sayuri giggled. "I always kind of thought she was just awesome at whatever she tried her hand at, but she can barely hold the pencil steady enough for a straight line." The two siblings laughed together at the thought of the perfectly poised Asuna struggling over a sketchpad.

Then another thought struck her, and she said, "How did it go with Mr. Yuuki? That was today, right?"

"Aye, it was," he nodded once. "I think we're making progress in the right direction."

"That's good to hear," she said.

"Aye, he's agreed to have dinner with Kazuto, Asuna, and myself on Friday night," Michael added.

Sayuri turned around in her wheelchair to look at her brother with skeptical eyes, a rare sight for her. "How did Kirito take it?" she asked.

"Eh… Asuna will have him handled by show time," he chuckled.

"Sounds about right," she giggled softly. Michael loved that sound- when he ad first met his sister, it was a sound rarely heard. Now that they were all free, it seemed to have freed all of the laughter she'd been holding inside for those two years.

"So is everything still going on for Saturday?" Sayuri asked.

"As far as I know," Michael replied. "To be honest, I simply get lost in my writing most of the day, so I hardly know what's going on." Another thing that had taken up much of Michael's time in the days since the release of the three hundred former SAO players was the work he was putting into his novel. It was a dragon fantasy book, the first of several in a series that he planned to release over the next few years.

"All of those stories have to come out somehow, don't they?" Sayuri grinned. "As long as you don't forget the rest of us IRL."

"I wouldn't worry about that," he smiled back as he ruffled her midnight-blue hair.

* * *

That Saturday came up faster than anyone would have thought. The dinner with Shouzou the previous night went well enough, Michael thought. Kazuto was initially awkward and tongue-tied, but thanks to Michael and Asuna, he managed to find his social footing and have a good evening with the older Yuuki. At the end of the night, Shouzou thanked Michael and Asuna for the meal and before he left, he turned to Kazuto and said, "I expect you to take good care of my little girl."

Kazuto had shook hands with him and said, "I will, sir. You can count on that." A smile of understanding had passed between them, and Shouzou had left the house with his daughter in tow. Of course, they all knew that there was one more person they would have to deal with before Asuna and Kazuto could see each other freely, but that was a problem for another day.

Michael cast the thoughts aside as he walked behind Asuna and Kazuto, who were hand-in-hand. He smiled slightly at the warm presences both to his right and directly in front of him. Sayuri was still in her wheelchair, which he was pushing, and his girlfriend, Suguha, was walking beside him quietly, her anticipation palpable.

"You excited?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she grinned. "I've met Agil a few times in-game to go hunting. His avatar is enormous!"

"Yeah, well get ready, cos he's that big in real life, too," Kazuto flashed his sister a quick grin as he put his hand on the door to the Dicey Café. The door had a sign that read, 'Closed for private event'. The Moonlit Black Cats and Suguha all wore smiles as they stepped in the room- and froze in surprise as they saw that everyone was already there.

"Uh…?" Kazuto stammered as everyone chuckled at their expressions. "Are we late?"

"Nah, we just had to give the stars of the party a different arrival time," Rika grinned mischievously as she grabbed Kazuto's hand and pulled him over to a podium while Keiko did the same with Michael, much to his protest.

Once they were situated on top of the podium with drinks in their hands, a man that the two boys recognized as Klein shouted excitedly, "All right! To the heroes!" And he raised his drink as he and everyone else shouted, "CONGRATULATIONS ON BEATING SAO!"

"To the Moonlit Black Cats!" Suguha added.

It was all Kazuto could do to say, "Uh… cheers, guys." Michael shot his friends a look that expressed his discomfort at being taken by surprise. Thus the 'Conquering of Aincrad' party began.

* * *

The party went by in a flash for the heroes, and after a couple of hours of recounting old fights and receiving various forms of congratulations, the two brothers were exhausted. "Bartender," Kazuo muttered as he and Michael sat down wearily. "Bourbon on the rocks." To his surprise, a cup with dark liquid and ice was slid towards him from Andrew's massive hand. When he tasted it, he grinned and said, "Oolong tea? Nice."

"Give me something with ridiculous amounts of sugar and caffeine in it," Michael muttered. In response, the shop owner slid him a soda, which he downed quickly before letting out a massive belch that earned him a pat on the back from Klein.

"Nice one," he grinned. "If you coulda pulled that off in SAO, half the mobs woulda just ran away from ya." He ordered an actual bourbon from Andrew, much to the disapproval of Michael and his brother.

"Seriously, Klein?" Kazuto said. "Don't have you work after this?"

"Alcohol makes the overtime go faster," he shot back as he sipped his drink. "Besides… Hot damn…" He grinned at some of the girls who were talking to Sayuri. "Chick alert." Michael dropped a fist on Klein's head before his mind wandered too far.

"Hey kid," a formerly rounded man said. Godfree's time in Aincrad hadn't necessarily been all bad, Michael thought. He was actually a slimmer size after his rehabilitation. "How've you been keepin' up with this whole thing?"

"How do you mean?" Kazuto asked.

"Well, the commander's dead and all, so I figured I'd ask how you were handling it," the man grinned. "No harm intended. If you don't wanna talk about it, I understand." Akihiko Kayaba had been found dead in a cabin in the mountains, a modified NerveGear on his head. Apparently, his equipment hadn't boiled his brain- it had outright fried it with ten times the power of a normal NerveGear rig.

"It's all right," Kazuto shrugged. "It needed to happen, or else we wouldn't be able to go home. But… I had a feeling that wasn't the last we would run into him…" His mind flashed back to his encounter with Heathcliff after they had defeated Sugou in-game. "Hey, Agil- how's the seed?"

"It's doin' amazing!" the big man grinned. "It's already been downloaded thousands of times. And it's got three hundred big-ass servers runnin' it." After Kazuto had begun to recover, he had taken his NerveGear to his old friend from Algade to examine for any dangers.

It turned out to be a stripped-down version of the cardinal system, one that could be used to create worlds of all kinds, as long as one had the proper equipment. Once it had been declared safe, it was released to the internet, where anyone could get ahold of it. In fact, it was from this program that the salvation of VRMMO's was born.

After the incident with IMO, people's terror of the virtual world was renewed, and the genre of games suffered a heavy hit- near-fatal as it turned out. But the seed that Heathcliff had created allowed people to safely make new worlds that could be more easily scrutinized before being released. A gathering of wealthy fans even managed to salvage the world of IMO and create a new version through the World Seed. And perhaps one of the greatest assets of the seed was the fact that each and every new game had the ability to transfer avatars with all of their skills intact, a feature not available through Amuspheres before, though NerveGears had proven capable, despite being an older generation.

But Michael had gotten together with some other people, and using part of his own new fortune, he had planned out an even bigger surprise for the gaming world. Grinning at the thought, he turned to Andrew and said, "Are we still meeting up as we planned beforehand?"

"You bet," the bald man grinned broadly. "Can't wait to see her again."

"I know what you mean," Kazuto smiled as he looked across the room at his wife. "Everything is gonna be so familiar about it, but I guess there'll be some new features, huh?"

"You're not getting any spoilers out of me," Michael said with a raised eyebrow. "Wait and see, Black Swordsman."

* * *

It was about half an hour before the others were due to show up that Mataras appeared in front of the guild hall of Fairy Tail. He waited patiently, knowing that his target would arrive any moment, and that he would be ready for them.

Sure enough, not a minute later, and the Thunder Legion walked up to him, Laxus at the head of the group. All of them were wary of the Fire Dragon Slayer- and well they should be, he thought as they came face-to-face for the first time since their duel.

"Laxus," Mataras said flatly. "Bickslow, Evergreen, Freed. You're all looking well."

"Not so bad yourself," Laxus said with a slightly cocked head. "I got your message. What did you want to talk about?"

"I told you before, I wanted to know what happened to you," Mataras replied bluntly.

"You happened," Laxus replied quickly, a frown on his face. "When you got taken by the death game… Right after Victoria, no less… We all suffered in different ways. We all missed you. And when we formed the Thunder Legion in here, no matter how strong we were, no matter how good of a time we had together, it just wasn't the same without you two. So we tried to move on and bury the pain."

"You moved in the wrong direction," Mataras said, though not unkindly.

"We see that now," Freed said. "The Master banished Laxus from Fairy Tail, but not us. Perhaps some time apart from one another in-game is what we all need- a breath of fresh air as it were."

"Wise choice," Mataras nodded. "I take it you need to leave before you're seen by anyone from Fairy Tail, then?"

"Yeah, but there's something I gotta ask first," Laxus said, his eyes drilling into his old friend's. "You asked what happened to us. What happened to you? How'd you find your way?"

"I didn't find it on my own," Mataras smiled slightly. "I didn't stick to my past misery, much as I tried. No, I found a new family, and the joy they helped me find helped me heal. The pain is not gone- nor will it ever be completely- but I am at peace with it."

After a long moment of silence, Laxus extended his hand, and Mataras shook it firmly. "I hope I can find that someday, too."

"When your banishment has lifted," Mataras said, "Come back here. And I'll show you what life has granted me."

"All right, Michael," Laxus nodded. "You got yourself a deal."

"Farewell, Erak," Mataras said as the Thunder Legion walked away. Then he turned around, cricked his neck, and said, "Right then. Time for the next chapter."

* * *

"Hey there," Mataras said as he walked up behind Leafa, who was sitting on the roof of the new guild hall. Makarov had outdone himself, they both thought. The new building was even bigger and stronger than the original one from the old IMO. "Why are you up here, all alone?"

"Just doing some thinking," Leafa said as he sat beside her.

"That's dangerous," he said, straight-faced.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah well, there's worse things I could be doing."

"True," he nodded. "What were you thinking about, then?"

"Actually, I was kinda wondering why you decided to change your avatar's look," Leafa said as she looked her boyfriend up and down. He no longer had bright red hair, but rather the darkest brown shade possible, and his eyes had undergone the same change. A red, one-handed sword was strapped to his back the only real change to his clothing since his attack on the Tower of Heaven.

"Hmm…" he mused, trying to sort out how to explain his feelings. Then he smiled lightly and said, "The Mataras that fought to save his family found the end of his journey. Now it's time for a new purpose." He smiled brighter and waved to someone down below, leading Leafa to look down at the ground.

On the ground, Sachi, Jellal/Litrosh, Yui, Kirito, and Asuna were all waving up at them excitedly, as were several other players that Leafa knew were from SAO. "Let's get going," she said as she stood to go, but Mataras grabbed her wrist to keep her from going. "Huh?"

"You'll get a better view from up here," he said mysteriously as he gazed up at the moon.

"A better view of what?" she asked, perplexed. When his only response was to keep gazing at the white orb, she fixed her gaze on it harder, trying to see what he saw. She didn't have to wait for very long.

As she peered at the bright orb, she could see a strange shape, growing larger by the second. It looked like a strange metal cone with spikes jutting out like arms near the base. "What…?" she muttered. She continued to watch as the object grew larger and larger, until it blocked out the moon- and suddenly it flashed to life with lights all over the structure, startling her a bit.

"Is… Is that…?" she gasped.

"Aye," Mataras nodded. "The floating castle, Aincrad. Sword Art Online may be over, but we never conquered Aincrad. This is our chance to do so." He turned to Leafa with a smile and said, "I've kept my old avatar for emergencies, but this is a copy I made with reset stats. So this time, I'll need some more help to beat the steel castle. Will you help me?" He opened up his menu and sent her a request.

It read, 'Mataras has invited you to join the Fairy Tail Team: Moonlit Black Cats. Will you accept?' She immediately hit the confirm command and hugged her boyfriend, glad to be a part of his life in this world, and in the real one. As they stood there, lit by the glow of New Aincrad, they were soon joined by the rest of the guild's team, each one proudly displaying their guild marks.

Kirito had a black fairy on his right shoulder, his avatar's appearance changed to look more like it had when he was in SAO. Asuna's white guild mark shone on her own right arm, complimenting Kirito's in a way. Her avatar looked very similar to how she did in real life, save that her hair was a fine blond, and her eyes were indigo in color. Sachi had done as her brother had and made her avatar look like she did in real life, complete with shoulder-length dark blue hair and dark blue eyes, the only difference being a fairy mark on her right shoulder, this one light blue in color. And although it was partially hidden by his armor, they all knew that Mataras' red guild mark was on his right shoulder as well. Jellal, formerly known as Litrosh the dragon and exceed, had his as a midnight blue mark on his right hand, while Yui had a pink one on her back.

"Ready, you guys?" Kirito grinned, his excitement barely contained.

"Always," Mataras chuckled. The two brothers cracked fists before exchanging some words under their breath that only they could hear. When they pulled back, they were grinning from ear to ear, despite their companions' confused looks.

Mataras kissed Leafa lightly on the cheek before he turned to Sachi and said, "All right, Sister. Show us what you've been practicing."

Sachi grinned back at him, set her feet in a wide stance and chanted, "Oh winds of the starry heavens: _Vernier!_ " A light blue magic circle flashed to life beneath her feet, illuminating her with the light of the stars as she focused her magic on herself and her comrades.

"Whoa!" Leafa cried in surprise. "What is this?!"

"Ah, that's right, Sachi just started a couple of weeks ago, and you haven't played with her," Mataras grinned. "Allow me to introduce my little sister as the Sky Dragon Slayer."

"Sky Dragon?!" Leafa repeated.

"Yeah, her magic's awesome!" Kirito laughed as he began to float in the air of his own will. "This one'll let you fly for a while!"

"Fly?" she asked, still in shock.

"Normally, players will have to pay an exceed NPC to fly them up to New Aincrad," Jellal said with a grin. "But we can get there whenever we want." And he floated up, light as a feather.

"You ready?" Mataras asked as he reached a hand out to Leafa, Sachi already holding his left hand.

"As long as it's with you, I'm always ready," she said as she took his hand.

"Then let's get going," he said as he looked up to the sky. "I'm all fired up now!" And they took off, together, like a gathering of stars eager to return to their place in the sky.

* * *

 **Klein: So, whatcha got next, buddy?**

 **Mataras: I don't give out spoilers, you know that- though I am willing to leave a few hints.**

 **Kirito: Aren't those the same thing?**

 **Mataras: Take it or leave it.**

 **Both: We'll take it.**

 **Mataras: Thought so. Now, the next few- and final- chapters will include lots of action, including a few showdowns that some people have requested in private. How will these come to be in such a short time? I leave that for you to wonder.**

 **Klein: Man, talk about vague.**

 **Mataras: I don't owe you any explanations!**

 **Kirito: Yeah? What about me?**

 **Mataras: I saved your life too many times for you to try that!**

 **Kirito: You're dating my sister!**


	29. The Fairy Tournament

**A/N: Hello again, fellow readers and writers! Hope you're ready for the excitement to star, because we have got a multi-chapter Fairy Tail Brawl on our hands! Just a couple of quick notes for those of you who don't know, I posted one last Toa of Aincrad chapter to celebrate the one-year anniversary a few days ago. And I really should have said something about this one earlier, but if you go to my profile, you can get to a video that shows the seven rules I use whenever I write fanfictions (especially crossovers). I hope you decide to check out, and more importantly, enjoy both of these items!**

 **Now that the announcements are done, let's get back in the game!**

* * *

The Fairy Tournament

"So, you're gonna join in on the tournament, huh?" The question came from Kazuto, who was sitting at Michael's dinner table alongside Sayuri, Asuna, and Suguha.

Michael smirked from over the rim of his tea mug and put the cup down as he replied, "Have you ever known me to turn down a friendly competition?" The two brothers-in-arms were referring to the competition recently announced by Makarov that would pit all of Fairy Tail's willing wizards against one another in a battle that would determine who was worthy to be the next S-class wizard.

"You guys do know that only one of you can win, right?" Suguha said as she looked between the two boys with a slightly askance expression.

"Oh, we know," Michael chuckled. "And I for one am interested to see which of us two will emerge as the victor."

"Oh come on," Asuna grinned at him. "You're pretty good, Mataras, but we all know that Kirito can kick you to the curb no problem."

"Eh…" Kazuto said with a nervous grin.

Michael, on the other hand said, "Oh, I know he's fully capable of beating me. The real question is whether or not he'll find it in himself to take me down."

"Are you saying you have no reservations about beating up Kazuto?" Suguha asked with mild disapproval.

"I do it all the time in our sparring sessions, why should the virtual world be any different?" he replied a trifle maliciously.

"Because he'll have me by his side," Asuna grinned again. "Do you really think you can take us both on by yourself?"

"I figured you would end up being his partner," Michael shrugged. According to the rules of the tournament, you were allowed to choose a single person to support you in the battle royal. However, that person would not be qualified to become an S-class wizard, no matter how well they participated. As such, it was hard for people to find partners to help them under such conditions, but Michael was not surprised that Asuna was going to support Kirito in battle.

"I have no illusions about being able to beat you both on my own," Michael continued. "I know I would very well lose such a fight. However, I won't be alone, either."

"You're gonna help him?" Kazuto asked his sister.

"Nah, I'm in the running for S-class too, you know," Suguha grinned. "And we both already agreed that we won't fight each other in the tournament, even if we have the opportunity."

"What'll you do if you end up being the last two?" Asuna asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Michael said dismissively. Kazuto eyed him for a second, already well aware of what would happen if such an eventuality did occur. He could see Mataras forfeiting the match in order to avoid harming his girlfriend, a hunch supported by the unobtrusive wink the Red Swordsman sent him.

"In any case," Sayuri said, finally joining in on the conversation. "Big Brother asked me to help him become an S-class wizard, which I agreed to."

"So, the Sky Maiden and Salamander are teaming up, huh?" Suguha teased them, using their nicknames given to them by the gamers that had heard of their feats. "I gotta say, having a white mage is gonna stack things in you favor against most people."

"Not against us, though," Kazuto grinned. "We're Dragon Slayers with way more combat abilities than Sachi's got." Asuna bumped fists with her boyfriend in agreement.

"We'll see about that," Michael said quietly. When asked to speak up, he turned to Suguha and asked, "So, who are you asking to be your partner?"

"Well, Recon was practically begging me to let him do it," she said with a roll of her eyes. "But I asked Jellal if he'd lend me a hand in the tournament. He said yes, which surprised me."

"I already gave him permission," Michael smirked.

"Huh?!" she gasped.

"I had a feeling you'd ask him for help, but knowing him, he would have refused unless I gave consent," he explained as he got up to put away his dishes. "I didn't want to cause him any stress over the decision, so I gave him permission ahead of time."

"Wow…" Suguha blinked. "Uh… thanks, Michael."

"Of course," he grinned. "I wouldn't turn away your request for help."

"So what if I asked _you_ to be my partner tomorrow?" she grinned mischievously.

"I wouldn't turn away your request for help," he repeated. "But I'll ask that you let me have an honest go at this tournament. Litrosh will be a more-than-adequate partner."

"Geez, I was kidding," Suguha sighed. "You really need to work on your sense of humor…"

"I gave up on trying to help him with that over a year ago," Kazuto chuckled.

"Yeah, but as his girlfriend, I have certain leverage that you don't," Suguha grinned.

Michael flushed red while Kazuto slapped his hand over his eyes and said, "I'm gonna forget I heard that."

* * *

The next day, the Moonlit Black Cats Team was gathered on Tenrou Island, where the tournament was set to take place. All of them were equipped with their battle gear, Jellal, Mataras and Kirito in their outfits from when they had attacked the Tower of Heaven, and Asuna, Leafa, and Sachi in new gear. Yui was wearing only a pink sweater, and she would be spectating the matches from the sideline.

Asuna's new outfit had a blue vest was draped over a tight black undershirt that left her toned midriff bared. Her pants were white down to her thighs, where a pair of black boots went up to meet the fabric. Two long blue gloves covered her arms all the way up, just shy of her white Fairy Tail emblem.

Sachi was wearing a simple one-piece dress that was an alternating stipe pattern of yellow and blue, with a white bow on the neckline. Mataras thought it was an appropriate choice of clothing, not too flashy, but also suited to her gentle personality.

Leafa's outfit was a two-piece outfit, technically three if you counted the open jacket that covered her arms. However, it left little else to the imagination, as her short skirt exposed her long, fit legs and her top piece only covered her assets and part of her back. Her boots came up just shy of her knees. Mataras frowned at the outfit as he said, "You couldn't have chosen something less… revealing?"

"What?" she pouted. "You don't like it?"

"Not really," he said bluntly, causing her to flush furiously.

"Wh-Why not?!" she shouted angrily.

"It looks like something-" Asuna slapped her hand over Mataras' mouth before he said something that would hurt Leafa's feelings.

"What he's _trying_ to say," she said in a kinder tone. "Is that he's more partial to outfits that don't show everything to all the other guys in the crowd. I don't think he likes the idea of other men ogling you, right Mataras?" With her hand still on his mouth, he frowned at her, but nodded once.

"Yeah, sis, you really should change that outfit," Kirito said with a bit of sweat on his brow. "He's got a good point, you're gonna turn way too many heads with that getup."

"But I dropped some good jewel on this!" she complained.

"Get a refund," Mataras said as soon as Asuna took her hand down. She put it right back up with a little more force this time.

"He means, do you have anything else that you can wear for the fight?" she said mildly.

"Well, yeah, I guess…" she sighed. "Man, most guys jump at the chance to see their girlfriend to show a little more skin…"

"Not this guy," Kirito grinned as he clapped Mataras on the shoulder. "He's about as old-fashioned as it comes when it comes to treating his girlfriend."

"Tell me about it," Leafa sighed as she started changing her gear to a more conservative outfit. "Four months we've been going out, and he still hasn't kissed me…"

Mataras frowned as Asuna took her hand down, though she kept it near his head in case he needed another slap. "I've kissed you several times," he protested.

"I meant on my lips, not my head," she muttered. "Asuna, are these guys always this dense?"

"Mataras is usually sharper that this, but then again, he's never had a girlfriend before," she giggled. "It's new water for him, give him time."

"Do you have to talk about me while I'm right here?" Mataras muttered, though secretly he was touched that Asuna would speak in his defense.

"Yes," the girls said simultaneously.

* * *

"So, what kind of training have you guys been doing in order to get prepped for this thing?" Kirito asked Mataras and Sachi as they walked towards the Tenrou Tree, the starting point of the tournament.

"I've been maxing out my MP gauge," Leafa grinned. "And I think you guys might be surprised at what I can do now." Even though they were a team, there were missions that they took separate from one another, so it was very possible that each of them had secret techniques up their sleeves, Mataras reflected. He grinned at the thought- he certainly had a few new tricks in store for everyone.

"Mataras has been getting combat training with someone, but he hasn't said who, even to me," Sachi said. "Litrosh and I have gone on several quests together, so I feel fairly confident in my abilities to support Big Brother."

"What about you?" Jellal asked the couple. "What have you been up to? You haven't logged in with the party in two weeks."

Kirito and Asuna shared a look before grinning and Kirito said, "We've been training to master a new phase of our Dragon Slayer magic."

"You mastered your Shadow Drive again, didn't you?" Mataras guessed. When they had all reset their avatar's stats, their abilities- while still respectable in terms of raw power- had been reduced to the basics.

Kirito and Asuna's grins widened, so Mataras figured that not only was he right, Asuna would have a new trick up her sleeve as well. The thought set his warrior's blood stirring with excitement. "Excellent," he said with a fierce grin. "I'll be sure to give it my A-game as well."

"Oh yeah?" Asuna chuckled. "All right, spill it, tough guy. Who'd you train with?"

"If you can find me in the tournament, I'll tell you then," Mataras replied.

"Sounds fair to me," Kirito nodded.

"Mommy, Daddy?" Yui piped up. She and Jellal had been mostly quiet the whole time, but now she spoke up. "Do you need any help remembering the rules?"

"Why don't you go over them again so we don't miss anything?" Asuna suggested, to which the little exceed nodded and moved to hover in front of the group as a whole.

"The rules are that the last person or two-man team standing in the battle royal will be declared the victors, and the leading competitor will be declared an S-class wizard by Master Makarov," she began. "If the leader in a pair is defeated, their supporting partner will be forced to teleport out of the battle zone so that they can't affect the battle anymore. The supporting wizard cannot become an S-class wizard via this year's trial. Because of the tournament's settings, once your health falls into the red zone, you will be teleported back to the island's safe zone, and you will be disqualified from the remainder of the tournament. No items are forbidden from use, and no spells are restricted from being used, either."

"So we don't have to hold back our magic, then," Mataras grinned. His recently reacquired Crimson Lotus Arts had levelled half of a town, much to the anger of the NPC's in the area. He was now actually banned from the area by the system via the guards that patrolled the town. If he went back, he would have to fight them, and he would be marked as a criminal player, something he wanted to avoid. The news that he could go all-out with no repercussions was a welcome one. "Now I'm getting fired up." He cracked his knuckles loudly with a fierce grin while the others looked askance at him.

* * *

"Attention, Fairy Tail wizards!" Makarov's voice rang out from a microphone above the assembled wizards. "The competition is about to get underway! You have five minutes to prepare yourselves before you will be teleported to random sections of the island! Spend them wisely!"

The competing Moonlit Black Cats all grinned at one another. The boys bumped fists and the girls hugged and exchanged words of encouragement. And Mataras gave Leafa a kiss on the cheek before he whispered something in her ear that made her eyes go wide and blush madly. They pulled apart, and Kirito eyed his brother-in-arms uneasily.

"You and me, we're cool," he said once Mataras raised an eyebrow at him. "But we never, _ever_ , talk about this."

"You're the one that keeps bringing it up," the Fire Dragon Slayer shrugged.

Before Kirito could utter a retort, Makarov's voice rang out again. "Competitors! The match will begin in one minute! As some of you may be aware, this tournament is being broadcasted to pubs all over Fiore! As such, we have with us as a pair of commentators, Misters Yajima and Chapati!"

"Good to be here, Mokie," an elderly voice said.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be here as well!" exclaimed a younger, more energetic-sounding voice. "Thank you for allowing us to bear witness to the rise of the newest Fairy Tail elite wizard!"

"They're making a show out of this?!" Mataras demanded angrily. "I thought that the S-class trial was supposed to be a sacred thing to this guild!"

"I know Master Makarov likes to make a few extra jewel to spend on the hall every now and again, but come on…" Leafa groaned. There was a general chorus of mild abuse directed at the three men, who were seated in a host box up in the branches of the Tenrou Tree.

"Do you kids want a shot at that promotion or not?!" Makarov shot back, and the voices stopped quickly enough. "Good, then. Now, other than the starting area and the Tenrou Tree top, you have full run of the island to do battle with one another. The top is off-limits because we have some select guests watching from there via lachryma vision."

That last part came as no surprise. There were certainly many Fairy Tail wizards who would want to watch the matches despite not taking part in the contest, and perhaps they had brought along some of their friends as well. As a matter of fact…

Mataras grinned as he whispered to Asuna," By the way, before I forget, your father and brother are here to watch you."

"Wha-?!" she squawked. "Why?! How-?! What?!"

"I suggested it to your father," Mataras chuckled. "He seemed like he was missing you, so I suggested that if he came and saw you in action here, it would give you something to talk about. And when your brother heard about you fighting in a tournament, he decided he wanted to see how much his little sister had grown up, I guess." There was another reason Mataras wanted Shouzou to watch the fight, but he would keep that part to himself until things played out a little more.

"You should have told-"

"Let the tournament begin!" Makarov declared, unwittingly interrupting the girl. "Good luck, my children!" And suddenly, with a blinding flash of light, they were all separated.

* * *

Mataras found himself back-to-back with Sachi in a cavern lit by many fireflies and glow stones. There was also enough sunlight to make is easy enough to see after a moment of adjusting to the dimmer lighting. "Where are we?" Sachi asked.

"One of the tunnel networks that leads underneath the island," Mataras answered. "Let's keep to the shadows, see if we can get the jump on someone."

"Camping, Brother?" Sachi clucked her tongue in mock distaste. "I thought you were better than that."

"People only hate it because it works," he shot back. "Now, come on, unless you want to get taken by surprise." She grumbled something under her breath, but she followed his lead and quietly went into a darker corner next to his own hiding place.

"The key to hiding?" he prompted her softly.

"Stay completely still and silent, even if you think you've been spotted," she recited. "Why are we talking right now, then?" Mataras's reply was a silent grin.

A few minutes later, the pair heard arguing voices. "I told we shoulda gone up top!" a nasally, familiar voice echoed.

"Shut your trap unless you want people to hear us coming," a more masculine voice snapped. "These tunnels are the perfect place for an ambush."

"Then why are we down here?" the first voice whined. Mataras recognized it, and a wicked grin split his face. He was going to enjoy this first bout much more than he thought.

"Because the chances are that very few or no one else will be down here," the second voice replied. "It's a safe place to lay out a trap, especially while everyone else up top wears each other down." The voice was familiar, but Mataras couldn't quite place it yet.

"Still, I feel like this is a bad idea," Recon whined as he stepped into the lighting of the chamber. "Someone could already be down here…" Mataras' eyes widened as he recognized Recon's partner, then he realized that he really shouldn't be surprised- after all, Gray _was_ Recon's brother.

"Sharp instincts," Sachi said as she strode out of her hiding spot. This was one of Mataras' standard player-hunting tactics, though in the past, Sachi had not been the one filling the role, usually Kirito or a client would do that. The other member would draw the enemy's attention and then…

"S-Sachi?" Recon stammered, surprised. "W-Wait, who were you paired up with again?"

" _Fire Dragon ROAR!_ " The flames shot forth from Mataras' corner and slammed into both Recon and Gray nigh simultaneously, sending them crashing into the cave wall.

"Ah man, you really have the worst luck," Gray grunted as he got up, Recon whining as he did the same. "We had to go and run into flame-brain first. Great."

Mataras stepped out of the shadows, fire in his hands, and a confident smile on his face. "Well, well, you managed to get an S-class wizard to help you, eh?" he chuckled. "Not bad, Recon. But having an ace card doesn't mean jack squat if you don't know how to play your cards the right way."

"Can we start fighting already?" Gray sighed, ripping off his shirt and exposing his lean, muscular frame.

"You and I will fight, I'm sure," Mataras grinned. "As for Recon, it won't really be fighting… More like flailing angrily…"

"That's it!" Recon shouted, his voice cracking. "I've had enough of you! _Ice-make LANCE!_ " Twelve spears shot out to impale Mataras, who simply sighed in annoyance. Without even reciting a proper incantation, he waved his hand dismissively and melted the spears into puddles with minimal bursts of fire.

Several different spells the two boys cast at their opponent, but each time, his response was the same, to ward off their magic with minimal effort, though Mataras got the sense that Gray was holding back considerably.

"Sachi, do you mind hanging back for this one?" he asked.

"Don't you need me on hand to support you?" she asked, though she started backing up obediently. "Would you at least like an enhancement before I back off?"

"Nah, it'd end too quickly if I did that," he chuckled. "This might actually prove to be briefly entertaining if I let him think he has a chance."

"I'm an S-class wizard," Gray snapped. "And I've got Recon's back. Don't think that this'll be easy."

"Ah, but see, that's the thing," Mataras said as he raised a finger with his trademark hunter's grin. "I don't have to beat you- just Recon. Because if I take him out, I don't have to worry about you, remember?"

"Yeah, well good luck with that!" Recon said defiantly. "I'm stronger than I was when we fought together at the Tower of Heaven!"

"Okay, if you're really feeling lucky, then have at it," Mataras said as he made a beckoning gesture with his hand. "I'll give you one free shot. Go for it, as hard as you can."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, man," Gray grinned. "My bro may be a bigger talker than his magic can back, but I'd still stay away from his strongest move."

"Hey!" Recon snapped.

"I'll be the judge of that," Mataras said flatly. "Come on, Recon. Give me your best shot. And if you hold back, I _will_ make your subsequent defeat much more embarrassing."

"How would you do that?" Despite his anger, Recon was curious.

"I wonder if Leafa's ever seen you get thrown in a dumpster?" Mataras grinned viciously. "You know, other than in real life."

" _That's it!_ " Recon shouted, his hands coming together, fist against palm. "You've mocked me, belittled me, and stole the heart of the only girl I ever cared about right out from under me! Now I'll finally get you back!" Cold began to radiate from him, so much so that ice began to form around them in the caverns.

"Hey, I can actually feel that one," Mataras taunted him further, wanting to see just how far Recon's wrath could take him.

"In a couple of seconds, you'll only be feeling the sting of defeat!" Recon cried as his power neared its peak.

"That, or the stab of disappointment," Mataras shrugged. "Go ahead- try your luck."

" _Ice make…_ " Recon seethed, his teeth bared and his eyes wide. " _Unlimited CHAOTIC DANCE!_ " Blades and other various weapons formed purely out of ice surrounded Recon to create an armory of magic power. He thrust his fist and palm forward, commanding the blades to surge forth and cut Mataras to ribbons.

True to his word, Mataras simply stood there and took the attack, making no move to retreat or dodge. The ice energy built up around him until he was encased completely in ice and snow. When the attack was finished, Recon was panting heavily as he grinned and said, "Hard enough, Dragon Slayer?"

"Uh-oh," Sachi said from off to the side.

"Looks like your friend is all talk nowadays," Gray grinned. "All that fire magic must have cooked his head."

"I wasn't saying that for my benefit," Sachi said as the ice cracked in several places. "I was saying it to save you the trouble…" The ice shattered and Mataras walked out, radiating intense heat.

"Not bad," he nodded. "You got me down by about one-fifth of my health and managed to trap me for a moment. Not bad at all. I'm proud of how far you've come, Recon." Gray had a sinking feeling in his stomach as Recon took a step backwards in fear.

"Y-You mean that?" he asked hoarsely. He had been on the verge of congratulating himself, but now he felt that such a move would be incredibly dangerous on his part, if the look in Mataras' eyes was anything to go by.

"Of course I do," Mataras said, that cold smile of his returning. "Unfortunately, it's being overshadowed by all of my _unyielding rage_!" And he smashed an Iron Fist into Recon faster than any of them could follow. The blow sent him face first through a cavern wall, and into another chamber entirely.

" _Ice make HAMMER!_ " Gray shouted as he made the weapon and dropped it on Mataras in the time it takes to blink. The Dragon Slayer responded by using a Wing Attack to simultaneously destroy the magic and the wall that was still partially between him and his adversary.

"A word of advice," he growled as he grabbed Recon by his shirt and lifted him off the ground. "Don't try anything funny with Leafa, and we'll get along fine."

"Okay…" the boy groaned. "Please just… Don't hurt me."

"Okay," Mataras shrugged.

"Really?" The light of hope was back in Recon's semi-conscious eyes.

"No." The light was gone. Mataras threw Recon at Gray just as the older boy leaped through the rubble and created and ice-make Blade. The blade cut into Recon, but whether this was by design or by accident, Mataras refused to say. This was followed up by the spell: " _Fire Dragon BRIALLIANT FLAME!_ " The fire bashed into them, and the resulting explosion brought down a ton of rubble on them.

Before he could check and see if they were still alive, two red markers that indicated a player's knockout status appeared on top of the rocks. Satisfied that the problem had been dealt with, he melted hole in rocks to climb through and rejoin with Sachi, who treated his wounds quickly with her healing magic.

"Don't you think you were a little too harsh with him?" she asked with a mildly disapproving tone in her voice.

"No," he replied honestly. "Why, was I?"

"Mataras!" She slapped him on the arm angrily. "He's got a crush on Leafa, so what? She's with you, and he knows it."

"Which is _why_ I want him to stop hitting on her," he grumbled.

"I know you do, but people don't just get over crushes like magic, you know," she sighed. "It takes time. And you're not giving him that time. The more you tell him to stay away from her, the more he's going to miss her, or at least the idea of her."

"So you want me to apologize for what I did just now?" he asked resignedly.

"No, I think the damage has already been done," she sighed. "Just… Try to be more sensitive from now on." Mataras made a face, and Sachi finally giggled at him. "Come on," she said. "Someone probably heard that fight, so we should get a move on. Maybe we can meet up with Leafa and Litrosh."

"We're really going to have to get used to calling him Jellal, though…" Mataras sighed as they exited the cave.

* * *

"Want me to handle this joker?" Asuna grinned her boyfriend, who shared the smile.

"By all means," he chuckled. "I guess you wanna show off to your family a little, huh?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted. "And Yui's watching, so, you know…"

"Ah, got it," he chuckled. "You don't Daddy to get all the hero worship, is that it?"

"Hey!" Their opponent, a scantily-clad female card-wielder named Cana snapped. "Are we gonna do this or not?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Asuna rolled her blue eyes at the other girl. "Man, you're lucky Mataras didn't run into you. He'd have made you change before he fought you."

"That or he'd have beat her with his eyes closed," Kirito laughed.

"Probably more likely," Asuna grinned.

Cana's eyebrows met in a dark frown. "I've had enough of this," she snapped. "I've been in the finals for the guild's S-class trials for four years running now. Don't take me lightly!" She unleashed a trio of cards, each one laced with a different element- one was water, the second wind, the third, light.

Asuna eyed the cards' trajectories carefully before she dodged the first two and snatched up the third one with unnerving speed and precision. What came as even more of a shock to the caster was that Asuna ate the card right after she stopped moving. "What the hell?!" she shouted. "What was that?!"

"Well, maybe if you spent more time out on jobs and getting to know your guild mates, and less time at the bar, you'd know more about who you're facing," Asuna grinned as she wiped her mouth. "Pretty decent magic though, I'll give you that."

"What are you?!" Cana demanded, even as she readied another trio of cards to unleash.

Asuna's answer was to breathe in deeply, then exhale a brilliant white beam that engulfed Cana instantly. When she closed her mouth, the light vanished, and she shot a wink at Kirito. "Told you she'd be no problem," she grinned.

"You missed her bag," he teased her as he pointed at the ground, where the item in question lay, minus part of its strap.

"So sue me," she giggled.

* * *

 **Asuna: All right, things are looking to be exciting for this last arc!**

 **Mataras: And I hope everyone enjoys it, because it's only going to be a few chapters- maybe four or five in total.**

 **Sachi: Any particular reason?**

 **Mataras: Well, I have a number of things on my plate, both writing related and not. It's kind of slowing down some of my story productions, not to mention my computer reset put a couple of stories back by several weeks in their release.**

 **Kirito: Tell me about it, man. There's this one guest reviewer that doesn't seem to have any sympathy for you at all. It's like every time you update a story, all they do is whine about how you haven't started Star Sword II yet. What's up with that?**

 **Mataras: Buggered if I know... In any case, I've decided to revise my plans for the future a little. Once I've finished this story (which, God wiling, should be in a month or so) I will begin releasing updates for Star Sword II: Return to the Stars. And then once I've finished my original Fanfiction for Fire Emblem Awakening, I will return as the Red Swordsman in Shattered Fragment. Hopefully, our readers can find a little peace in the schedule and knowing what is to come now.**

 **Sachi: Hey, come on! Most of your readers are great!**

 **Mataras: True, and I do appreciate them with all my heat. It just gets a little hard sometimes when you've got IRL shenanigans abounding, and then you've got people being ungrateful for your hard work. Bah, whatever, I'm good now! Hope to see you all next time, and may God bless you until then!**

 **Asuna: Bye, everyone!**

 **Sachi: Hope to see you real soon!**

 **Kirito: Next time- Holy Shadows and Scorching Skies.**


	30. Four Swordsman, Four Dragons

**A/N: Okay, let's get fired up, cos the competition gets heated in this chapter, let me tell you! Wait, why do I need to tell you? Go, read!**

 **And more importantly, enjoy!**

* * *

Four Swordsman, Four Dragons

"Asuna's quite the fighter, isn't she?" Kouichirou said to his father.

"Quite," Shouzou agreed with his son. "I must admit, I had no idea that the virtual world could be so engaging. It's much more entertaining than I imagined."

The two of them were sitting in the Tenrou Tree branches, watching the live battles with lachryma vision while listening to the commentary from Makarov and his friends. Some of it was very helpful to Shouzou, who had very little idea of how things worked in the virtual world, especially with so many different magics being used.

"I'm glad we're able to do this, Father," Asuna's brother grinned as he watched Asuna and Kirito lay into three wizards with great speed and power. "I know it'll mean a lot to her that we're supporting her like this."

"Are you sure she knows we're watching?" the older Yuuki asked.

"Mataras said he'd pass on the message, and I believe him," he answered with a nod. "She knows we're here for her."

"Hmm…" Shouzou said, folding his hands in his chin.

"What's wrong?" his son asked, concerned.

"I just wish we could have been there to support her when it really counted," the older man sighed. "In the death game…"

"I think in some ways, this may be just as important as those lost years," Kouichirou said after a moment. "This is her world now, and she'd want us to share in it."

"Heh," Shouzou chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

"Oh, look!" Kouichirou exclaimed excitedly. "She and Kirito have run into Salamander and the Sky Maiden!" The two men shifted their entire attention to the large screen to see what would happen next.

* * *

"Well, well," Mataras grinned as he eyed the two Dragon Slayers who grinned back at him. "Thought I'd run into you two later than this." Sachi moved into position to back him up if he needed.

"No hard feelings, right?" Kirito grinned as he took a fighting stance.

"Not at all," Mataras nodded. "But… How about a truce instead?"

"Huh?" Asuna and Kirito both stopped in their tracks, surprised at the offer. "Are you serious?" the Shadow Dragon Slayer asked.

"Completely," Mataras nodded. "I found out that some of the S-Class wizards are acting as partners to the other contestants. I just got out of a scrap with Gray and Recon a few minutes ago."

"They gave you trouble?" Asuna sniggered.

"Gray had the potential to do so," Mataras admitted flatly. "Fortunately, Recon's a scrub, with no real fight when faced with a real opponent."

"Hey, he helped us in the Tower of Heaven," Kirito reminded him.

"Like I said, when he's faced with a real enemy," Mataras repeated without the slightest hint of a smile.

"Wow, did he always have that big of an ego?" Asuna asked no one in particular.

"Look, here's my proposal," Mataras interjected. "Once we've thrashed everyone else on the island, we allow one another to recover completely so we can each other at full power. No bars held at that point, and no strings attached. What say you?"

"Sachi?" Kirito asked. "Are you okay with that?"

"If Brother wants to do it, I have no objection," she nodded. "He's the leader here, so I'll follow his orders."

"Asuna?" Kirito asked.

"I'm with you no matter what," she grinned. "But I have to admit, having an entire island to fight it out with Mataras sounds like a lot of fun."

"That's what I was thinking," Kirito grinned. He held out his hand and said, "You got a deal, Red Swordsman."

"Glad to party with you again, Black Swordsman," Mataras grinned as they shook hands. "Sachi, if you please?"

"I'm on it," she grinned. Focusing her magic, she chanted, " _O swift wind that dashes through the heavens: VERNIER!_ " Magic auras emanated from the four of them, and they found themselves able to fly according to their very thoughts. And she wasn't done yet. " _Strength of arms to cleave the heavens: ARMS!_ " Each of them felt a surge in power, and next to their MP gauges were notifications that their magic power had increased, as well as their physical prowess.

"All right!" Kirito grinned. "This is awesome!"

"Let's put it to use," Mataras reminded him. "I see a two-man team down there, fighting Leafa and Lit- Jellal."

"What do we do?" Sachi asked.

"We fight," Asuna declared. "Let's go!" She shot off toward the fight, her magic illuminating the area around her.

"She's really gung-ho about this, eh?" Mataras chuckled as they followed her.

"Yeah, but I won't lie, it's pretty cool," Kirito grinned. "She's got this spark in her eye that-"

"Kirito?" Mataras interrupted.

"Yeah, man?"

"We don't talk about my love life, we don't talk about yours," he said bluntly.

"Oh."

* * *

"Get him, Taurus!" Leafa commanded her massive bull.

"MOOOO!" the spirit bellowed as he tried to cleave his cloaked opponent in two, only to miss and get slammed from the beast form of Elfman. "Bad moooove…" he groaned as he faded away.

"Why do I even summon him?!" she groaned in distress.

"Can I fight now?" Jellal chuckled.

"Yeah, go for it," she said in resignation. She had wanted to do as much of the fighting as she could on her own, but Elfman was proving to be a resourceful opponent. Not to mention his mystery partner, whose cloak his face and most of his bodily features, though the broad shoulders definitely indicated another male player.

"Sorry, skinny, but you're up against a real man!" Elfman bellowed as he charged at Jellal, who grinned at the eager fighter.

"Careful who you challenge, appearances are often deceiving," he replied as he swiftly dodged his opponent's blows. "I'd have thought that someone with your skill set would understand that."

"Enough talk, fight me like a man!" the beast roared.

"Okay," Jellal grinned. " _Meteor!_ " His body was enveloped with a golden aura and he pummeled Elfman with a hundred blows between one breath and the next. Each punch didn't do much to the resilient beast form, but there were a lot of hits he got in. And Jellal was just getting started.

He unleashed golden flames at his enemy, burning him and forcing him to retreat with an angry howl. "That all you got?!" Jellal taunted him with a grin. "My Heavenly Body Magic is just getting started!"

"So am I!" Elfman roared. "Takeover magic: Lizard Man!" His body glowed, and when the energy faded, a green beast stood in his placed, covered in sharp-looking green and black scales. He grinned, revealing sharp teeth, and saying, "Let's see how manly you are when you can't hit me?!"

"Who said I needed to hit you to hurt you?" Jellal grinned. He was clearly enjoying himself, and he was ready go to the next level. He shot into the air and started to place magic circles in the air above the lizard man, who waited patiently for the attack. When the last circle was placed, he shouted, "Heavenly Body Magic: _Grand Chariot!_ "

Lightning sprang from one circle to another until they were all linked together. A mirror set appeared under Elfman, who looked down in surprise. Then he was lost in a barrage of light blasts, seven in total. Each one had incredible destructive force, enough to shake the ground for at least a mile.

"So Elfman, am I man enough for you?" Jellal grinned as the dust started to settle.

"Not bad…" a tired-sounding voice said from the dust.

What the-?!" Jellal gasped, shocked to see that his opponent was still standing. He was bruised and battered, but still upright, and no mistake. "How can you be standing?!"

"He must've been training hard," Leafa said in awe. "Wow…"

"Hey partner?" Elfman said as he shifted back to his human form. "Think I need a breather. Mind stepping in?"

"Thought you'd never ask," his partner asked, his deep voice sounding familiar.

"Uh oh…" Leafa said, paling as Brandon stepped up and threw back his cowl. "Guess I shoulda seen this coming."

"Sorry Leafa," he chuckled. "No hard feelings, okay?"

"You make it sound as though we've already lost," Jellal said as he readied his magic. "It's not over until it's over."

"No, it's over when I say it's over," Brandon grinned as he readied his light magic.

"Wrong," another familiar, yet rougher voice said, accompanied by four more players. "It's over when _we_ say it's over." Mataras let his fire blaze to life in his hands even as he was flanked by Kirito and Asuna, each of them glowing with magic power. Sachi stayed behind them, ready to spring into action as soon as she was called.

"Mataras!" Leafa called with relief.

"Hey gorgeous," he grinned. "Sorry we're late. Mind if we lend a hand?"

"Not at all," she grinned back. "I'll help if I can, but Mataras…"

"Eh?" he asked.

"Kick his butt."

"For you, then," he smirked as Brandon readied himself.

"Four Dragon Slayers, a Celestial Wizard with golden zodiac keys and a unique magic-user?" Brandon grinned happily. "This'll be fun. I've been training non-stop since I saw your battle with Cobra and Laxus, and I think you're all in for a surprise."

"Try us," Asuna said confidently.

"Okay," Brandon grinned. He flung out his right hand and Mataras was flung back by an unbelievable amount of magic power. He flew into a tree and crashed into a dust cloud, stunned by the brutal attack.

"What the hell was that?!" Kirito gasped. The three of the SAO survivors were all in shock at the sight of Mataras being blasted back so easily.

"My uncle, Gildarts," Brandon chuckled. "I've spent the last few months practicing his crasher magic in addition to perfecting my own light magic. Even Dragon Slayers like you guys don't stand a chance now."

"You call that crasher magic?" Mataras' voice was accompanied with a laugh. Brandon recoiled in surprise as Mataras walked out of the dust cloud, rubbing his right arm. "My brother hits me harder than that in practice."

"What the-?!" Brandon was no less than shocked. That technique had never failed to pulverize enemies in the past. How in the world had Mataras gotten up from that attack?

"It wasn't half-bad, but you've still got a long way before you can match your uncle," Mataras grinned as he stood by Sachi, who healed his bruised limb without a word.

"You've fought Gildarts?" Kirito asked with surprise.

"Once," Mataras nodded. "He showed me that I still have a ways to go, which I appreciated."

"What the hell is this guy on?" Brandon asked to no one in particular. "He fought my uncle and walked away from it?!"

"He let me," Mataras replied as he lit up his fists. "And I'm glad he did. If I truly was the best in this world, what would there be left for me to work towards?"

"You still gotta beat me first!" Brandon shot back. "And believe me, I'm not even warmed up yet."

"Then bring it on," Mataras chuckled. "Because I'm all fired up and raring to go." He leaped at Brandon, who retaliated with another burst of crasher magic, hoping to send Mataras flying back from where he came back.

" _Fire Dragon SWORD HORN!_ " He roared as his body was engulfed in flames, even as he collided with the brutal white magic. The energies began to collide and the air reverberated with raw power as they pit their strengths against one another.

"You deal with Elfman!" Kirito told Asuna. "Mataras and I got this!" He leaped at Brandon from the opposite direction, sword in hand and enveloped in shadows.

* * *

"You heard the man," Asuna grinned as she leaped in front of Elfman.

"You're no man," Elfman scoffed. "And I don't wanna hurt a little girl."

"Wanna see me punch like a little girl?" Asuna asked in a mock-sweet tone.

"Look, kid, I-" _Blam!_ He went flying into a tree trunk before he could finish talking. Asuna didn't give him a chance to recover, either.

"Take my _Holy White JUDGEMENT!_ " she cried as she hit him again and again with shining white fists. After a particularly powerful punch that tossed him up in the air, she shouted, " _White Dragon ROAR!_ " The energy she exhaled blasted Elfman higher into the air, the only fact that allowed him to survive was his lizard man form.

As he descended, he glowed and changed yet again into a leopard-like form. Asuna was surprised to find that his speed was actually formidable enough now to make her dodge his attacks. "Not bad," she grinned as she dodged his sharp claws.

"Same to you," he exhaled heavily. "You're a real man!"

Asuna looked at him with a raised eyebrow before saying, "You want a minute to rephrase that, buddy?"

"A real man never goes back on his word!" the beefy player declared heartily. In some ways, he reminded the former Vice Commander of Godfree, one of her old co-workers.

"Whatever you say," she muttered as she glowed brightly. "Let's just get this show on the road, sound good?"

"Now you're talkin'!" he roared as he charged once again.

* * *

" _Fire Dragon WING ATTACK!_ " Tendrils of fire arced towards Brandon, only to be countered by his crasher magic. Everything the energy touched, Mataras and Kirito realized, broke up into tiny pieces. Fortunately, Kirito had the foresight to sheathe his sword before it could be destroyed by the magic.

"Man, this guy's untouchable!" Kirito complained.

"No one's untouchable," Mataras growled. "We just need to hit him harder."

Kirito instantly knew what his brother had in mind. "How long do you need?" he asked.

"A few seconds, less than half a minute," Mataras replied quickly.

"I'll lend a hand, too!" Leafa declared. "I've got a new key that I've been saving just for this!" She pulled out a golden key that none of those present had seen before and chanted, "Open now, Gate of the Lion: _Leo_!" A brilliant golden magic circle appeared on the ground, and out popped a surprisingly human-looking spirit. He had shaggy brown hair, dark lenses that hid his eye color, and an immaculate suit and tie.

"Hey there, gorgeous," he grinned at Leafa. "Been a while- miss me?"

"Why do half of your spirits flirt with you?!" Mataras asked, frustrated.

"I dunno!" she shouted back. "Leo, now's not the time! I need you to take on that guy there!" She pointed at Brandon, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"So, you actually did it?" he chuckled. "Leo, the leader of the zodiac spirits is in your retinue? Nice work, Leafa."

"That's right, I'm Leafa's spirit," the young man said as he straightened his glasses. "Now, face the power of an awakened zodiac! _Regulus Impact!_ " He thrust with his fist to unleash a lion-shaped burst of light right at Brandon, who retaliated with a light blast of his own.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Now that's some real power there!"

"You want real power?" Kirito grinned. " _Shadow Dragon ROAR!_ " Darkness blasted from his mouth, but Brandon countered with crasher magic.

"C'mon, this is a good effort, but is it all you got?" he taunted his attackers. "I'm not even using half my power right now!"

"Then do it!" Mataras shouted, drawing his attention. Brandon's eyes widened as he saw Mataras holding a golden flame in his hand, and traces of the same magic were emanating from Jellal's hand. Before he could stop him, Mataras inhaled the potent flames, their power adding to his own.

Brandon unleashed a new surge of magic, one that flattened Leo and flung Kirito far away enough that it would be at least a minute before he got back. And a minute was he needed, Brandon knew. Turning to Mataras, he tore off his shirt, revealing a red, elegant mark on his arm. "I know your power, Salamander," he said. "So I won't mess around anymore."

"You regained the spell, eh?" Mataras grinned as golden flames emanated from his body and Jellal moved to protect Leafa. "Come then. Let us see whose power is the greater!"

"That's the way to do it!" Brandon grinned as he raised his fist to the heavens. "Gather!" he commanded. "River of light, guided by fairies! Shine, so that I may vanquish my enemies!" He levelled his fist to aim at Mataras and shouted, " _Fairy GLITTER!_ " A tremendous ring of light shot down from the heavens to envelop Mataras, binding him in place, and glowing with the brilliance of a star.

But Mataras would not be deterred. " _Dragon Slayer Secret Art_ ," he shouted.

"Forget it!" Brandon laughed. "You can't move now!"

"Not if we break your concentration!" Sachi surprised Brandon with her declaration. She was facing him with her feet set in a horse stance, determination on her face.

"Sachi?" He had to try not to laugh. "Sorry kid, but last I checked, you were just a white mage. And they don't do a whole lot of damage, especially to guys like me."

"Check again!" Mataras bellowed, even as the spell neared its climax.

"Check what?!" Brandon chuckled, though he looked a little nervous now.

"She's called a Dragon Slayer for a reason, you know!" Mataras smirked.

" _Sky Dragon…_ " Sachi inhaled deeply.

"No…" Brandon said, eyes wide. "No way!"

" _ROOOOOOAR!_ " Her bellow sent forth a tornado that sent Brandon flying into the roots of the Tenrou Tree, stunning him both from the physical and mental shock. His concentration shattered, Mataras was able to break free from the magic holding him in place.

" _Crimson Lotus PHOENIX SWORD!_ " he roared as he shot forth, wrapped in golden flames that took the shape of one of the great Fire Birds. Brandon tried to counter with crasher magic, but he was so disoriented, he didn't make it in time.

Mataras smashed into him at full power, and the shot went wild, off to the side. Brandon's eyes were wide as he looked at the fiery demon that had defeated him. Then, he was teleported out of harm's way by the tournament's safety warp that would prevent him from losing his skills via the death penalty. _He's not far off from being able to beat my uncle, if he took me out like that,_ he thought in shock as he looked around to see who else had fallen in battle during the tournament. Looking up at the screens provided, he added, _That, or Sachi hit me a lot harder than I thought._

* * *

Elfman was down to a sliver of health before he would be teleported to safety. But he still refused to admit defeat. "A real man…" he panted, "doesn't give up until it's over."

"Then I'd say you're a man's man, Elfman," Asuna grinned, her fists lighting up.

"All this damage…" Elfman gasped. "But not a scratch on you… How?!"

"Sorry, but a magician never reveals her secrets," Asuna giggled right before she finished him off with a laser burst.

* * *

The four of them regathered near the largest of the Tenrou Tree's roots, whereupon Sachi healed Kirito and Mataras' injuries. Asuna burst out laughing at the sight of their virtual bruises. "Did Brandon actually get that many hits on you?" she giggled as Sachi finished healing Kirito's backside, which was covered in bruises from his impact.

"That guy was a real monster, no doubt," Kirito muttered. Looking up at Mataras, who was keeping a lookout, he asked, "Did his uncle really beat you?"

"I didn't believe it at first, either," Mataras replied without looking at him. "But he did- knocked me silly. Barely broke a sweat doing it, too." Both Kirito and Asuna did a double take when they realized he was serious.

"That easy?" Kirito asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"That easy," Mataras nodded. Then he looked back at his siblings with a grin and said, "I promised him that next time it wouldn't be that easy for him. He said he looked forward to a real challenge from me the next time we crossed paths."

"You would look for a rematch," Asuna sighed. "Like someone else I know…"

"Hey, wait a sec," Kirito frowned. "Where's Sugu? And Litrosh?" The group looked around with confusion, realizing that he was right, neither competitors were anywhere to be found. "Where could they have gone?"

"Let's check our competitor status screens," Sachi suggested as she opened her menu. In IMO, people could see who were still in competitions with them via the menu once the tournament had officially begun. If someone died, they could also see how it occurred, though most people chose to ignore this function, as paying too much attention to the menu could be fatal in such hostile environments.

"So what happened?" Mataras asked after a few seconds of silence. He was still keeping an eye out for enemy players.

"Brandon got her right before you knocked him out," Asuna answered. Mataras decided to spare the screen a quick glance. His teammate showed him how Brandon's wild shot, originally meant for him, had shot off and disintegrated Leafa instantly.

"No way!" he growled. "She worked too hard to be taken out like that!"

"Look man, I'm disappointed too, but there's nothing we can do about it now," Kirito said calmly. "Look, whichever one of us wins this thing can help her the next S-Class promotion, okay?"

"I know, it's just… Gah!" Mataras blew up a smaller tree with his flames in frustration. "Let's go," he growled as he stalked off into the jungle.

The others watched him go for a moment before following him. "So, how many are left?" Kirito asked his girlfriend quietly.

"About a dozen players, only two of them are on an official pairing," she answered off of memory. "The pair is Bisca and Alzack."

"Those gunslinger wizards?" Mataras called back. Despite his obvious anger, he was still keen on the fight at hand. "They got married in-game, right?"

"Yeah, Bisca's the S-Class competitor," Sachi affirmed.

"Well, from what I know, Brandon is the worst of it as far as other competitors are concerned," Asuna said. "Erza's not on the list."

"A relief, though a minor one," Mataras shrugged. "Like I said before, I'd consider Brandon the primary threat out of any of the S-Class wizards."

"Oh yeah?" Kirito grinned.

"Besides you two, of course," Mataras replied, the smirk all too evident in his voice. "But I'm not worrying about you right now."

"Focus on the problem that's in front of you, while in a fight," Sachi recited. "Don't worry about future fights at the expense of the current one."

"Another one of his lessons in swordplay?" Asuna asked.

"Lifeplay, actually," Mataras replied.

"That's not a word!"

"It is now."

* * *

The rest of the battles barely qualified as events to the powerful wizards. Their powers, combined with their flawless teamwork, was an unbeatable force. Even Bisca and Alzack were minor inconveniences for the SAO survivors.

And so came and to the alliance.

"That's the last of them," Mataras said as he wiped his mouth free of sparks. They were in one of the island's flatter areas, surrounded by trees on all sides, but the clear area was about a half-mile in diameter. "How do we do this?"

"We get five minutes to heal and recover our magic power," Kirito said. "Once both sides are ready, we go all-out, no bars held, no restraints of any kind."

"Sounds good to me," Mataras nodded. "Sachi?"

"I'm following your lead," she replied as she pulled out a blue potion. "If you're good, then so am I." And she started to drink the MP-restorative liquid.

"There's your answer," Mataras grinned as he pulled open his inventory and pulled out an identical vial. Before he started to drink, he stretched out his hand and said, "Good luck, Kirito. You too, Asuna."

"Thanks," Asuna grinned while Kirito shook his hand. "Good luck to you, too."

* * *

"Hey, before we start this thing," Kirito grinned as the two teams faced off.

"Eh?" Mataras asked as he took a fighting stance.

"What kind of training have you been up to?" Kirito asked. "I wasn't even aware that Sachi had any offensive spells."

"I've been training with Brother to develop that spell and max out my support spells," Sachi replied. "I've got a whole new bag of tricks just for you two."

"Aw, how touching," Asuna giggled as she took her own stance. "And you, Mataras? What have you been doing besides fighting Gildarts?"

"That was only once," Mataras replied evenly. "As for my regular training, well… Laxus and Cobra both owed me. I told them I'd call it even if they agreed to practice with me until I could beat them both on my own- and I made sure that they weren't holding back, either."

"Wait, what?!" Asuna gasped. "You trained with Kenji?!"

"I'll explain the whole thing another time," Mataras grinned viciously as he allowed fire to spring to life across his fists. "What you two need to worry about right now is the Dragon Slayer that can defeat two second-generation slayers on his own- and yes, that means without Sachi's help."

Shaking off their surprise at the fact that Mataras had willingly accepted the help of a former Laughing Coffin member, Asuna and Kirito returned the combative grin. "We've been training for this, too you know," Kirito said.

"And I think you'll find that we pack a few more surprises than second-generation knockoff Dragon Slayers," Asuna added. "We're the real thing- we've tested it."

"What are you talking about?" Sachi asked nervously.

"We're what you might call third-generation Dragon Slayers," Asuna replied as she started to glow softly. "We found two dragons, thanks to Argo- a white and a shadow one- and we killed them with our Dragon Slayer magic."

"The best part?" Kirito grinned cockily. "The quest rewards were a White Dragon and a Shadow Dragon lachryma. When we implanted them in our avatars, our powers were multiplied exponentially. We're on a totally different level than you, Mataras."

Sachi looked over at Mataras, hoping to see his confident grin that would tell her that he had this in hand. But all she saw was a grim expression, and a hard light in his eyes. "Then I guess I'm at a bit of disadvantage, eh?" he said. "So much for my ace card."

"We'd ask you if you wanna throw in the towel now, but we know you better than that," Asuna said. "Ready to finish this?"

"Yes, but on my terms," Mataras said as he readied himself. "Ace card or not, I'll win this fight. Odds meant nothing to me in Aincrad, and they mean nothing to me now. May the Law of the Sword determine the victor!"

"All right!" Kirito laughed. "Let's do this!"

The two brothers leaped at each other at top speed, flame and shadow colliding with tremendous force, the trees around them swaying away from their battle, as if to escape their impending wrath.

The brotherhood of four swordsmen was about to be replaced by a battle between four dragons.

* * *

 **Mataras: Special thanks to Naruto Sakura Uzumaki for providing the OC Brandon.**

 **Sachi: He was a tough opponent compared to most, huh?**

 **Mataras: Yes, I'd say he's basically the equivalent of Dragon Song from my Toa of Aincrad story in terms of posing a challenge to me.**

 **Asuna: Pretty high praise for the guy.**

 **Mataras: Well, I appreciate the effort N.S.U. put in to making the character for this story, so I thought I'd make a mention of it.**

 **Kirito: We'd also like to thank all of the readers that have stuck with us for so long, since the beginning.**

 **Mataras: Hey, save the good-bye speech, it's still a few chapters off.**

 **Kirito: I know, but we're getting there, and I thought I'd just help break the audience into the idea of the Slayer of Aincrad coming to an end in a slower manner.**

 **Mataras: A kind sentiment, Brother. But we're out of time for now, so we'll just have to continue this after I kick you to the curb.**

 **Kirito: Ha! You wish!**

 **Mataras: Fight me!**

 **Kirito: Glad to!**

 **Sachi: Guys, not yet!**


	31. Firestorm vs White Shadows

**A/N: All right, time for a serious throw down! I'm all fired up, and I hope you are too!**

* * *

Firestorm vs. White Shadows

" _Fire Dragon IRON FIST!_ "

" _Shadow Dragon SLASH!_ " The two dragon slayer magics collided, and Kirito grinned as he met Mataras' fist with his own. The grin vanished as soon as Mataras took another step forward and overpowered him, his punch throwing him the length of a baseball field. Asuna was quick to back up her boyfriend, her fists shining with white light.

Mataras countered her blows with lightning reflexes, using his foot in Talon technique to bat away her blow before back-flipping away to make room for his breath attack, which sent her sprawling in the dirt. Looking back at his sister, he nodded and said, "Do it, Sachi."

"Strengthen arms to cleave the heavens!" she chanted instantly. " _ARMS!_ " Once again, Mataras was enveloped in a magic aura that enhanced his magic and physical attacks.

Kirito came back at him just as the incantation was complete. Charging at Mataras directly, he shouted, " _Shadow Dragon WAXWING FLASH!_ " His wing attack sent arcs of dark energy at his brother, who snorted and took a ready stance.

" _Fire Dragon BRILLIANT FLAME!_ " The fire cut straight through the shadow attack and bashed into Kirito, causing him to collapse in a smoking heap. Asuna ran over to him and helped him up while Mataras regarded them with a raised eyebrow.

"You've definitely stepped up your game more than you let on," Kirito grunted. "I guess we should have seen that coming. You always took training the most seriously out of the four of us."

"Hmph," Mataras snorted. "Tell me- did you actually defeat dragons with that pitiful display of magic you've been showing me?"

"Oh yeah," Kirito grinned as he straightened himself completely. "We killed them with our own hands, no doubt there."

"Then why the pitiful attacks?" the Fire Dragon Slayer asked.

"Look, if you wanna see our real Dragon Slaying magic, we'll be happy to show you," Asuna said as she looked Mataras dead in the eyes. " _White Drive._ " A shining white aura emanated from her body, and the air around her seemed to vibrate with raw power.

" _Shadow Drive_ ," Kirito said, and darkness began to envelop him.

Mataras smirked and readied himself for what he knew was going to a more challenging fight. "That's more like it," he said. The next instant, he was flying through the air, courtesy of a blindingly fast punch from Asuna.

"Brother!" Sachi cried before she found herself facing off against Kirito.

"I'd worry more about you at this point," Kirito said as he moved in closer.

"I'm not afraid to fight you," Sachi declared. " _Sky Dragon CRUSHING FANG!_ " Her blow flew straight and true, and it would send Kirito reeling should it connect. Except that as soon as she made contact, he became an insubstantial shadow, which allowed her attack to pass right through him.

"Try all you want, you can't catch a shadow," Kirito's voice echoed from where he reappeared in a more solid form. His first blow took her in the back, send her sprawling.

* * *

Mataras wasn't doing any better. Asuna's White Drive seemed to have not only amplified her magic power like Kirito, her speed had gone to a whole different level than he had expected. Her punches came in so fast, they might have been at the speed of light themselves.

"Well, so much for the cultured young lady you try to be in front of your parents," he grunted. "Didn't you know it's bad manners to hold back when you're fighting?"

"You should talk," she retorted. "What's up with that crappy defense?"

"Defense was never my strong suit, you know that," he shot back.

"Sounds like a personal problem," she grinned. Her fist drew back before she opened it, holding a shining white orb that Mataras doubted would be any more pleasant than her regular attacks. " _White Dragon TALON!_ " she slammed the orb into his chest, disintegrating part of his clothing and revealing the six-pack underneath.

He stumbled back a bit, then he found himself locked in place, unable to move his body. "What is this?!" he demanded. He could see in the lower corner of his peripheral vision that her chest was shining brightly where she had struck him.

"A new trick of mine," she grinned as she clenched her fist again. "My talon is infused with holy magic- get hit by it and you're instantly paralyzed." She walked towards him at an unhurried pace as she said, "And now you're going to be my punching bag."

Sachi was struggling just to stay on her feet as Kirito hit her again and again, his attacks coming from a different angle every time, with no predictable pattern she could exploit. She took a deep breath as she rose and took a ready stance, bracing herself for the next attack. _He might just be a shadow, but if I can use the air around me to sense where he's coming from next…_

"Gotcha!" he shouted as he sprung up from behind him, intent on decking her from behind again.

Sachi spun around and grabbed his wrist, much to his shock. "Don't underestimate my training," she said with a familiar light in her eyes, though Kirito had never seen it in her before. No, the warrior's light came from Mataras, he knew.

"Uh…" he said, at a loss for words at this attitude change from the gentle girl he knew.

" _Sky Dragon ROAR!_ " The roar slammed into the boy from point-blank, sending him flying the direction Asuna had chased Mataras. Sachi cast Vernier and followed her, intent on rejoining her brother in combat.

* * *

When Asuna was only a few paces away, she shot forward, her fist lighting up even brighter than before, a fierce grin on her face. That changed when Mataras gave her a smile of his own. The next thing she knew, he had slammed flaming fist into her gut, causing her to double over and back up a few paces.

"What the…?" she wheezed. "You… shouldn't be able to move! I paralyzed you!"

"Take another look," Mataras chuckled. She looked up to see that his abdominal muscles were glowing with heat, and she realized what he had done.

"You burned off my magic circle," she nodded as she straightened. "Not bad."

"Not bad yourself," Mataras grinned. Then he closed his eyes for a moment, and the smile vanished. When he opened his eyes, there was no friendliness there. "But you'll have to do much better of you want to take me down." He shot forward, unleashing his Fire Dragon Grip Strike attack and sending her slamming into a tree, even as Kirito fell down from above, the wind sufficiently knocked out of him.

Sachi floated down from above to land beside Mataras, who nodded at her arrival. "Ready?" he asked.

"Always," she responded. And together, they slammed into their opponents before they had a chance to recover, beating them again and again without mercy. Sachi's enhancement magic made their attacks even more powerful, and Kirito and Asuna seemed to falling to their might.

When they had an opening, the couple leaped back out of the range of their opponents' attacks, panting heavily. "Well…" Kirito grunted. "This is working out different than we thought."

"Looks like we'll have to give it everything we got," Asuna said as she took a new stance, and a blinding light shone from her body, obscuring her and Kirito from view.

"Whoa," Sachi said. "You feel that?"

"That's a lot of magic power," Mataras nodded. "She's not fooling around this time."

"Ready Mataras?" Asuna called out from the light. "Here it comes! _Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " The light suddenly drew in on itself, and they could see Asuna and Kirito again. " _Holy… NOVA!_ " She launched forward so fast that she could have been a bullet fired from a gun.

When her attack connected with its target, a light so bright that it could be seen from the mainland shook the entire island with the force of its power. It was several moments before the glow and dust settled, but it was clear to Sachi that Asuna was grinning as soon as she could see.

The grin turned into an expression of shock as she realized that Mataras was holding her fist in his right hand, unfazed by her most powerful attack in her magic arsenal. It was all she could to gape at him in shock.

"No way…" Kirito breathed. "That's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," Mataras snorted. "And you call that a Secret Art? Please, get it together." And he jerked her forward so that his elbow could connect solidly with her face, sending her reeling back once more as she tried to recover.

" _Fire Dragon…_ " he growled.

" _Sky Dragon…_ " Sachi said. " _ROOOOOOAR!_ " Their bellows unleashed their magic in unison, blasting Kirito and Asuna back even further, wounding them heavily. Mataras and Sachi had no way of knowing how much health their opponents had left, but they guessed that it was around two-thirds, or maybe even half if they were lucky.

"All right…" Kirito growled as he got to his feet. "That's it."

"Ready to end this?" Asuna asked him.

"Yeah," he nodded as Mataras and Sachi approached them, the Sky Maiden using her magic to heal Mataras' wounds as best she could. Unfortunately, her own health could not be restored by her own magic, but it was helpful to their team nonetheless.

"We're not gonna lose," Asuna said as the air around her began to ripple. Some instinct made Mataras stop in his tracks, and hold out a hand so that Sachi would do the same. "We're giving this everything we've got." The fabric of the virtual world surrounding her seemed to nearly burst from the sheer power she began to radiate. White markings covered the exposed parts of her body, and Mataras realized that he had seen similar marks once before.

Then Kirito did the same, shadows practically shredding the air around him with their ferocity, and black markings similar to Asuna's covering his exposed skin. And then Mataras realized what a disadvantage he was at then. "Dragon Force…" he said, his eyes wide. "You can activate it at will?"

"One of the perks of being third-gen Dragon Slayers," Kirito replied.

"Hold on," Sachi said, seeing her brother's expression of shock. "Didn't you and Kirito need an excess of your own element to activate that ability? How can they use it whenever they want?"

"It's probably because of the lachryma they each obtained," Mataras replied. "I knew it would increase their power, but this… This is bad."

"How bad?" Sachi asked nervously.

"I'll tell you how bad," Asuna said as she stepped forward. "Hang back, Kirito. I'll finish this myself."

Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive," she nodded.

"If you were anyone else, I'd be insulted," Mataras said, even as he braced himself for whatever was about to come. "One person alone has never been enough to-"

Asuna launched forward even faster than before- so fast that even Mataras couldn't keep track of where she was. The punch to the face he received knocked out a chunk of his health points and sent him flying towards the wall of an old building.

Sachi fared no better. Her Talon attack was dodged with ease and met with a bolt of light that sent her skidding back in the dirt, though she managed to remain upright. She and Mataras both used their elements to launch themselves back at Asuna at top speed. As they shot towards her, Sachi cried out, " _O skies of the heavens, grant us your full power! ILE ARMS, ARMOR, AND VERNIER!_ " The two Dragons felt their power, speed, and defense double just as they closed in on a grinning Asuna.

The blows they exchanged were so fast that those watching the match couldn't even follow each individual attack. All they saw was Asuna somehow holding off the magically-charged Dragon Slayers while hardly giving any ground. And even that didn't last long.

Asuna suddenly reverse kicked Sachi a fair distance away and grabbed Mataras in the same motion right before she punched him into the air so that he would land right on top of his sister. She then leaped up high enough to touch the lowest branches of the Tenrou tree and took a deep breath. " _White Dragon HOLY BREATH!_ " The beam she unleashed was wider than her normal breath attack, and it caused a massive explosion when it hit the ground and the Dragon Slayers on it. When the light faded, a massive hole was in the ground, opening the way to several underground passageways.

* * *

Back up in the resting area for the players, Leafa, Jellal, and Yui were all watching with wide eyes. When the breath attack hit, the island itself shook, causing the room to vibrate violently. "Whoa!" Leafa cried out.

"Their magic power is incredible!" Yui exclaimed as she used her wings to steady herself. Fortunately, the tremors didn't last long. "Their power is reaching all the way up here!"

"What'd you expect?" Jellal said as he helped Leafa to her feet. "It's a battle between Dragon Slayers, and the four Black Cats no less. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they collapse the Tenrou Tree in the process."

"But I thought that the tree was an immortal object?" Leafa asked.

"I thought that the floor was an immortal object too, but it turns out that this isn't the case," Jellal replied. "Who knows what else they could break?"

"Look!" Yui suddenly exclaimed, noticing that the screens had cleared up. They could see Mataras and Sachi falling at a rapid pace down the massive hole that Asuna had created.

"Oh no, Mataras!" Leafa gasped.

"Come on, Red Swordsman!" Jellal shouted at the screen, even as the other people in the room cheered on the combatants.

"Nice one, Mommy!" Yui giggled.

* * *

Mataras glared up at Asuna, who was diving down after the pair at high speed. "You can't leave, cos we're just getting started!" she called down.

Mataras realized that the Vernier spell was still active, so he willed himself to change directions and shoot back up at his opponent. " _Fire Dragon SWORD HORN!_ " he roared, cocooning himself in flames and slamming into Asuna with a vicious head-butt.

Sachi was quick to follow, getting behind the other girl and shouting, " _Sky Dragon ROAR!_ " The breath attack slammed Asuna down into the ground at an uncontrollable speed, leaving a small crater in the ground where Asuna hit the earth.

But she got up fast and looked up at the pair with a fierce grin. "The radiance of a white dragon," she said as she clasped her hands together, light shining from between her palms, "purifies all. _White Dragon HOLY RAY!_ " She opened her hands, holding a massive white orb that shot out countless lasers, each and every one of them piercing their targets, causing Mataras and Sachi to cry out in pain.

They hit the ground, hard. Winded and aching but still determined, Mataras leaped at his foe, flames in hand. He was countered by the radiance Asuna's amplified Holy Judgement, which immediately snuffed out his fire.

"Rrgh…" he growled, even as Asuna laughed at him.

"Time to fly, Salamander," she said, just before she increased the power and sent Mataras flying into the darkness of a nearby passageway.

Sachi saw this, and she flew at Asuna, determined to land a solid hit again. The White Dragon Slayer ducked the blow and back-kicked her opponent away. Mataras returned much sooner than she expected, his Iron Fist ready to smash into her body.

But again, Asuna countered with a burst of light, this time decking him in the face and flooring him. Sachi tried again, only to be foiled by Asuna's sonic-speed reflexes. The next time they attacked, the pair tried to come at her from different sides, but Asuna's speed was still too great for them to land a hit on her. She back-flipped away from them and unleashed her breath attack, obscuring them with an explosion of light and dust.

When it settled, Mataras and Sachi were face-down in the dirt, unmoving. Asuna grinned at the sight, knowing that she'd won. According to the rules of the tournament, if someone was knocked out for more than a minute, they would be ejected from the fight.

* * *

"Oh no…" Leafa gasped.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Jellal demanded. "This isn't the time for a nap- the fight isn't over yet!"

"Mommy's just stronger than you guys thought," Yui giggled. "She wins!"

"I know that's not all you got!" The Cats were surprised to see Brandon shouting at the screen now. "You're stronger than this, Mataras!"

"Get up!" Gray shouted, joining his comrade. "You can't lose like this- down in the dirt! You're a member of Fairy Tail, so get your butt in gear!"

"Thanks, you guys," Asuna said as she let her Dragon Force fade away. "That fight… It almost felt like old times… The thrill was one I won't forget anytime soon."

Leafa and the others could hear Makarov from the lachryma as he said, "Those two might be out for the count. An impressive fight nonetheless."

"Quit screwin' around!" Elman shouted. "A real man doesn't let himself go out like this!"

"You're the Salamander!" Jura, a guest from Lamia Scale added. "You're better than this! Your sister is beside you, so fight for her if nothing else!"

* * *

Hearing the sound of footsteps behind her, Asuna turned to see Kirito approaching her with a broad smile on his face. "Nice work, honey," he said.

"Thanks," she grinned. "Honestly, I didn't know if we could beat him. He always seemed to be invincible, I wondered if anyone could ever beat him in a fair fight. But I did it. Thanks for letting me have the match."

"No problem," he grinned. "But I'm still the newest S-Class wizard in Fairy Tail you know."

"I know," she nodded. "But I'm just glad my dad go to see how strong I can be. I'm glad I could win in front of him."

"I wouldn't count my eggs before they hatched," a familiar voice growled. Asuna and Kirito turned with wide eyes to see both of their opponents standing tall and strong. Battered and bruised to be sure, but no less defiant for it.

* * *

The resting room was in an uproar of cheers from the audience. "They're up!" Leafa exclaimed excitedly. "They did it!"

"I don't know why we expected anything else," Jellal laughed. "Mataras never learned the meaning of the word 'surrender'. And it seems that he taught Sachi the same."

"That's a real man right there!" Elfman laughed.

"Yeah, buddy!" Brandon exclaimed.

"Now _that's_ a Fairy Tail S-Class candidate," Gray grinned.

"I think we're about to get to the real fight now," Jura said as he sat back down with a broad smile. He leaned forward in anticipation, ready for the action to resume.

* * *

Only one person there did not share in their excitement. "How did they get up…?" Yui asked, her eyes wide. "Mommy was winning…"

"Oei…" Mataras grunted as he cricked his neck. "I'm going to feel that one IRL."

"You said it," Sachi groaned as she massaged her back.

Mataras looked at the shocked faces of Kirito and Asuna, whereupon his fierce grin broke out, causing them both more nervousness than they'd like to admit. "I'll admit, you're stronger than I expected. But now I know everything you've got, which includes your ace cards."

"What?!" Asuna gasped.

"No way…" Kirito added. They knew that Mataras was stubborn and difficult to put down, but this…

"I know everything I need to defeat you now," Mataras said confidently. "Sachi and I can predict the pattern of your attacks, the way you stand when you defend…"

"Even your breathing patters are known to us," Sachi added.

"What the hell?!" Asuna gasped. "This isn't possible- I used my Dragon Force on you! How can you be moving, much less want to fight?!"

"Like I said, you're stronger than I expected," Mataras said, that same fierce expression on his face. "I feel like I a car slammed into me- and believe me, I know exactly how that feels. But now…" Fire danced to life in his hands.

"You're bluffing," Kirito said, though he didn't sound convinced of that.

"Am I?" Mataras chuckled. "Am I really?"

"Brother does a lot of things, but bluffing isn't one of them," Sachi said. "You guys should know that."

"For example," Mataras said, "when you attack from a standing position, you pivot your foot to about eleven o'clock."

"I thought it was ten o'clock," Sachi said as she looked up at him.

"We'll call it ten-thirty," Mataras shrugged.

"You guys can't have much health left after that," Asuna said, suddenly regaining her composure. "Now we'll finish you off."

"It won't be that easy," Mataras growled.

"Watch us," Kirito shot back " _Shadow Dragon…_ "

" _White Dragon…_ " Asuna added, their power building up again.

"Get 'em, Sachi," Mataras said quietly. Suddenly, he whirled and unleashed every last bit of his fire power at Sachi, engulfing her in a raging inferno.

Before Kirito and Asuna could reverse their spells, they both shouted, " _ROAR!_ " Their breath attack blasted into Mataras, pummeling him with the force of a full-powered dragon. When the dust cleared, Mataras was lying on his back. Before they could say anything, Mataras began to laugh, weakly at first, but slowly building in volume until it was fully belly laugh.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Asuna demanded. "You just blasted your own teammate! Your own sister! Why would you betray her?!"

"I didn't," he chortled.

"Huh?" Kirito asked. Then they all heard a slurping sound coming from the center of the raging flames, and the White and Shadow Dragon Slayers turned slowly with wide eyes to see Sachi standing in the flames, inhaling them all at once. She didn't stop until the last ember was consumed, and when she did, she was panting heavily, and sweating freely.

"No…" Kirito said.

"You didn't!" Asuna said, looking down at Mataras, who laughed at them.

"And what if I did?" he grinned. "Sachi can handle you two by herself."

* * *

"That's insane!" Leafa heard Chapati exclaim. "Mataras somehow sacrificed all of his magic power and transferred it to Sachi!"

"It's not the first time the boy pulls something like this off," Makarov added. "I saw him absorb shadows and become a Shadow Flame Dragon Slayer. Seems like he just did the same for his sister."

"I suppose we should call her the Sky Flame Dragon Sayer now," Yajima said.

"That's…" Leafa said, her eyes wide. Even Jellal seemed shocked by this turn of events. "That was incredible! I didn't know Sachi had it in her!"

"Nor did I," Jellal admitted. Then he broke out into a grin. "This just got much more interesting, and that's saying quite a bit."

* * *

Sachi stumbled forward, her gait unsteady for a few steps, before she righted herself and stood up straight to look them both in the eyes. Her eyes glowed red and when she bared her teeth, they were sharper than a normal person's. Her fingernails transformed into claws and her blue hair became streaked with multiple red stripes."Come at me… both of you," she panted. "I'm… all fired up now." Wind swirled around her, before fire joined the mix, effectively transforming the mini-cyclone into a firestorm that heated the entire cavern.

"I believe in you, Sister," Mataras said as he watched her grow in power.

* * *

 **Kirito: Well, looks like things just took an unexpected turn.**

 **Asuna: I'll say. I'll bet that no one can honestly say that they saw that coming.**

 **Mataras: Hehe. I've always got a trick up my sleeve that no one else knows about until it's up here.**

 **Kirito: Gotta hand it to you, that was well-played.**

 **Asuna: I thought that this chapter would be the end of the fight,but I guess you've got something special in mind, huh?**

 **Mataras: Oh yes, I do. And in case the readers didn't know, Star Sword II is officially online! I know I said I wouldn't get to it until this story was done, but it was May the Fourth- how could I not?!**

 **Kirito: I'm looking forward to getting back to the Star Wars universe!**

 **Mataras: Actually, about that...**

 **Kirito: Wait what?**

 **Mataras: Never mind, go read the story.**

 **Asuna: Wow, a cliffhanger in omake? You've hit a new low.**

 **Mataras: I'd say I just got the better part of my audience curious, actually. Later!**


	32. Where Power Lies

**A/N: Hello everyone, and thank you for choosing to come back to the story of the red Swordsman! An additional thanks goes to those of you that sent me messages of encouragement and reassurance- I truly appreciate it, all of you. Now, let us dive in to the final battle of the Slayer of Aincrad, as the story shall come to a close next chapter! And let me tell you- this is going to be one chapter you won't soon forget!**

* * *

Where Power Lies

Kirito and Asuna looked across the chamber, dumbstruck at the sight of Sachi. The normally gentle, kind-spirited young girl that they normally spent time with was nowhere to be found. She had been replaced by a fierce warrior maiden whose power rivaled her infamous brother's. It was shocking sight, to say the least.

Still… "If you think you can take both on by yourself, you're making a huge mistake," Asuna said firmly, though her eyes remained wide.

"We don't even need to beat you, we just need to finish off Mataras," Kirito added.

"Beat me, and he's all yours," Sachi retorted.

Both Kirito and Asuna responded by activating their Dragon Force powers. "Did you forget that we both have the full power of a dragon at our disposal?!" Asuna shouted. "Nothing in this world is stronger than a dragon, and you want to fight two of them?!" She shot forward, her fist connecting solidly with Sachi's palm, which she brought up to block the attack.

"Sorry, Sister, but you're not quite there yet," Sachi said with a slight grin.

"Rrgh…" Asuna growled. "This is the power of a true Dragon Slayer! I should know! It's how we killed our dragons!" She unleashed brilliant white light in an attempt to push Sachi back, but the girl remained rooted to the ground, unlike the last time Asuna had unleashed this much power.

"Is that right?" Sachi replied, her grin growing. "Then I'll use the power…" A mixture of flames and wind exploded around her, countering Asuna's magic. "…That Brother taught me to harness." Her palm thrust forward, and Asuna was flung back with incredible force.

"Behind you!" Mataras shouted from where he was retreating into a crevice. Kirito turned to see Mataras lying on the ground, beaten and out of magic power.

"Sorry man, but we said no bars held, remember?" he grinned as he blasted Mataras with shadow magic. "Looks like we win."

Just before Mataras was teleported out of the combat zone, he chuckled and said, "Idiot." Kirito wondered what he had meant by that when Sachi came flying at him, smashing into his chest with a palm-handed technique that sent him flying away, stunning him from both physical and metal shock.

"What the crap?!" Kirito growled as he got up again. "You shouldn't be able to fight anymore! Mataras was the S-Class candidate, so you can't fight us anymore! This doesn't make any sense!"

"Unless Mataras was never in the running to begin with," Sachi said flatly, her dry tone reminding them both of Mataras' battle mannerisms when he was feigning calm.

"No way…" Asuna grunted as she rose up slowly. "You were the contestant the whole time? And we never even guessed…" She swayed unsteadily, shocked that Mataras would go through so much trouble to conceal his team's true goals. She knew that he'd always been cunning, but this was something else altogether.

Now the Shadow Dragon Slayer decided that he'd had enough of all the subterfuge. It was time to go all-out for real this time. Kirito shouted, " _Shadow Dragon ROAR!_ " Shadows shot forth, seeking to consume Sachi in its void.

However, she had no intention of being swallowed by the darkness. " _Sky Flame Dragon BURNING ARROW!_ " An arrow made of wind that trailed flames shot forth form her palm and shredded Kirito's own breath attack, then went on to roast him and send him sprawling in the dirt.

"I'm not done yet!" Asuna shouted as she ran back at Sachi, her fighting blood fully awakened now.

Kirito rose to his feet painfully and growled, "Yui… Don't worry. We're not giving up now!" He charged at Sachi, ready to attack in sync with his wife and battle partner.

Sachi simply stood there calmly, ready for their attacks. "Bring it on," she said softly.

* * *

"I think… Sachi's actually having fun?!" Leafa said, her eyes wide as she stared at the screen. "But she always seemed so mild!"

"True, but don't forget who taught her everything she knows about fighting," Jellal said, not taking his eyes off of the match. "He's a powerful monster in his own right, and if she's learned to harness even one-tenth of that power…" He let the thought go unfinished.

"What do you mean by that?" Gray asked. He had come to join their table after Sachi had become a Sky Flame Dragon.

"You've seen it yourself," Jellal replied. "It's almost as though whenever he's presented with an opponent stronger than himself, he'll increase his own might to respond to the challenge. And now it seems that Sachi has harnessed this mentality for herself."

And indeed, Sachi was pummeling the other two Dragon Slayers while hardly taking any hits herself. She moved faster and more eloquently than any of them had ever seen before. As they watched, they could hear Makarov saying, "Young Sachi might be winning right now, but I have to hand it to the White and Shadow Dragons for their tenacity."

"Yes, it is rather impressive," Yajima agreed.

* * *

Sachi slapped both of her opponents away with a flaming wind gust before taking a solid stance. "The wind in my right hand and the flames in my left," she chanted. "Put them together and you get: _Sky Flame Dragon FIRESTORM!_ " The swirling orb of fire and wind slammed into the two combatants and set the area that they were in on fire while simultaneously trapping them within an air dome.

The pair used their powers to burst out of the heat trap and launch themselves at Sachi, who wove and countered their attacks while slamming them with tornado-force winds laced with fire. Eventually, once Sachi deemed that the fight had gone on long enough, she used a Crushing Fang attack to put Kirito firmly in the rocks. This was followed by a Sky Flame Dragon Talon that put Asuna partway in a wall of the cave, whereupon she slowly fell to the ground, temporarily stunned.

Yet Sachi made no aggressive moves as the two of them moved to stand next to one another, panting, bruised, burned, and cut up. She simply seemed to be content to let them make the first move. Which was fine with Kirito and Asuna.

"Now, Asuna!" Kirito shouted, even as he unleashed his shadow magic into a massive orb that rapidly began to grow in size.

"All right!" she cried. Light burst from her fist that she flung backwards, so that her stance matched Kirito's. Her own orb of magic swelled to the same size as Kirito's as well, and they both continued to pour their power into the attack.

* * *

"Oh, wow…" Leafa gasped.

"A unison raid?" Jellal asked. "I feel like I should be surprised, but I'm not. Kirito and Asuna have always had amazing teamwork and coordination. And if the bond that he and Mataras shared was enough to pull off a unison raid, I am most intrigued to see what happens now."

"I know they'll pull it off!" Yui exclaimed. "No one is ever going to take Mommy and Daddy down!"

"Hey, why isn't Sachi moving?!" Gray asked as he pointed at the screen. "With that much power that they're using, there's no way she can block it!"

"Sachi, out of the way!" Leafa cried.

* * *

The orbs that the two Dragon Slayers had created and grown to the size of a Gleam Eyes each suddenly vanished, and the air around them stopped vibrating. But between their facing palms, a new orb appeared- one made of both light and shadow. This, Sachi knew, was the true power of the Black Swordsman and the Lightning Flash.

" _Holy Shadow dragon FLASH FANG!_ " Kirito and Asuna bellowed. This was their ultimate attack, the very attack that they had used to destroy each dragon that they faced. And it had only grown stronger with their new powers. This was how they always fought since the day Asuna joined the Black Cats- together. The white shadows exploded forth in a massive geyser, aimed straight at Sachi, who still hadn't moved.

She stared at the attack with fire in her eyes and steel in her heart. This was it. This was the moment where she would prove herself to Mataras- that she was the warrior he had trained her to be. Her mind wandered back in time for one brief second before the attack hit…

* * *

"Brother?" Sachi said as she approached the Red Swordsman. It was nearly time to go meet the others for the boss raid, and she had something she needed to say to him. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Aye, of course," he said with a nod. "What's on your mind?"

"Well… seeing as this is a milestone boss and all…" she said as she looked down at her shoes. "I'm afraid that not everyone will make it. So just in case, I want to tell you something."

He paused for a moment, then cupped her chin so that she would look at him directly. "I swear that every one of the Moonlit Black Cats will walk away from this fight. But if you have something weighing on your heart, by all means, say it now."

"Okay then…" she took a deep breath before she said, "I believe in you, Brother. I have ever since you found me under that bridge. And I know that one day, you'll be the one that takes down Kayaba forever. Even if I can't be there with you physically, I'll always be watching over you."

"Sachi…" he said quietly before he pulled her in for a hug. "That means so much to me… But there's something I need to tell you, too."

"What is it?" she asked as she stepped back a half-pace to look up at him.

"I believe that one day, you'll surpass me," he said with a smile. "And when that day comes, I want to be there to see it happen."

She stared at him in awe. The fact that he thought she could surpass him, the greatest swordsman in all of Aincrad, was both humbling and terrifying to contemplate. _Who would I be if I became stronger than him?_ She wondered.

"Listen to me, Sister," he said seriously. "There are some barriers that I have cleared with raw power alone. But there some walls that strength alone cannot conquer. And when you find a way to surpass those barriers, you will be the greatest warrior I have ever known…"

* * *

 _There are walls that I couldn't get through on my own power,_ she thought as the unison raid attack came near her. _But… with Brother's help… I_ can _move beyond them._

" _Advanced Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " she shouted as she took a wide stance and cupped her hands together behind her. " _Shattering Light AERIAL FLAME BLADE!_ " A spiraling attack made up of two tendrils- one of wind, and one of fire- sprang from her hands as she whirled them forward and slammed into the white shadows. They exploded upon contact and then kept on going, cutting straight through the combined magic, blasting straight into Kirito and Asuna, whose expressions were ones of shock and awe.

* * *

The explosion rocked the island in its entirety- so much so that the waters around the island were repelled, sending waves all the way to the mainland. The screens that people were using to watch the fight were riddled with static as a result of the magic unleashed.

"Whoa, momma!" Chapati cried over the screens. "Those were some insane attacks! They seem to have an effect on the lachrymas we're using to watch them- but don't worry, folks! They should be back up any second now!"

"This is, bar none, the most intense fight I have ever seen," Makarov said. "And I was there when Mataras and Kirito beat Laxus of the Thunder Legion and Cobra of the Oracion Seis. Whatever the outcome, well fought by all."

"Hold on Mockie," Yaima said as the screens began to clear. "We're coming back up now… What do we have here?"

Leafa and the others all held their breaths, waiting for the dust to settle so they could see who the winner was. Yui was also looking incredibly tense, her wings locked in place so that she couldn't even fly. Jellal appeared the most composed, though the hard light in his eyes showed his intense interest.

* * *

Kirito stood tall and firm, as did Asuna, neither of them moving for a moment. Sachi too, stood unmoving, the traces of her final attack emanating from her hands as wisps of wind and flame. Her hair transformed back into its usual shade of royal blue and her fangs and claws reverted back to their human appearance.

Once her transformation had faded away, Asuna toppled over and shattered into thousands of polygons. _I'm sorry, Dad…_ she thought. _I'm not as strong… as I wanted you to think I am…_

 _Yui…_ Kirito thought as he too, collapsed and disintegrated. _I'm sorry we let you down…_

* * *

Leafa's hands went up to her mouth briefly before they lowered, allowing everyone to see the brilliant smile on her face. Jellal stood and raised a fist to the air as he too, grinned broadly. The others in the room all began to shout and cheer for the young Sky Maiden and her astounding victory over the Twin Dragons.

Only Yui stayed where she was, tail, wings, and ears drooped with disappointment. Tears brimmed at her eyes, and she sniffled sadly. Leafa noticed her, and immediately felt sorry for the little exceed. She gathered her up in her arms and said quietly, "Next time, they'll win it for sure, okay, Yui?"

"Okay," she said in a tiny voice, her tears hitting Leafa's shoulder at a steady rate.

* * *

Sachi raised her fist to the sky with a huge smile on her bruised face as Mataras greeted her with his own smile on his face. She had been teleported up to top of the Tenrou Tree so that she could be proclaimed the winner of the tournament. "You did it," he said with a grin. "You won… and you have surpassed me. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks…" she said, exhausted. "You made it possible…"

"But it was you that accomplished this today," Mataras said as he hugged her close. "Well done."

"I just have one question…" Sachi asked as she looked up at him.

"What's that?"

"Why didn't you use your Shadow Flame Dragon Mode the whole time?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Hey, I had to let them think that they had a bit of a chance," Mataras joked. Sachi grinned back at him, and soon they both began to laugh happily. Mataras put an arm across his sister's shoulders, and together, they walked out of the designated teleportation point to meet up with everyone else and have Sachi proclaimed as the newest S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Sachi, for showing unbelievable tenacity, cunning, and spirit in the Fairy Tail trials, I now grant you the rank of an S-Class wizard," Makarov said as he sent Sachi a notification from his menu. "You may now take on more difficult quests that will yield greater prizes. May your adventures better you as a person and as a guild member."

Sachi was smiling happily as she stood before the assembled crowd, who began applauding her anew. Mataras was standing beside her as her partner and brother. He too, was smiling broadly, but for a different reason than happiness for himself. No, his smile stemmed from seeing his timid little sister finally grow under her own power and finally surpass him, as he had known she would.

He could have very well defeated Kirito and Asuna, he knew. But not when they fought together. One on one, he knew he could have pounded either one of them with little enough trouble. That wasn't to say that they were weak as individuals- far from it. But together, they were a nigh-unbeatable force. Only someone who truly appreciated the value of having an inner strength could stand up to such power.

And while he knew he had great skill, he knew that Sachi had grown more as person than he could ever hope to. The little girl that cried under a bridge in the floating castle had come out and decided that tears would serve no purpose. Only strength like Mataras' could help her survive in there. And so she learned how to harness this incredible force for herself, never once suspecting that the one she looked up to was the one relying on her the whole time.

Fire can only travel so far with its ferocity, but the sky is eternally strong.

* * *

There was a party back at the guild hall, and every Fairy Tail member was present, even the elusive Gildarts, who simply toasted to those of his comrades that would approach him. The one time he did speak for any length was when Mataras sat beside him at the bar and slid him a drink.

"On me," the Fire Wizard said with a wry grin. "But just this one."

"Sounds good to me," Gildarts grinned as he downed half the mug. "Heard your team won. Congrats."

"I didn't have much to do with that," Mataras shrugged.

"Bogus," the older player chuckled. "That girl adores you. She just wanted to grow up and be like you."

"Yeah, well…" Mataras chuckled as he gazed at his sister from across the hall. "When I grow up, I'd like to be half as strong as her. And when the end comes, I hope I can face it with as much courage as she's got." He fell silent as he drank some of his soda.

"You still didn't tell 'em, did ya?" Gildarts prodded gently.

"No," Mataras said with a definite shake of his head.

"If you know each other IRL, they're gonna find out soon enough, you know," Gildarts said after a moment.

"I know, but…" Mataras sighed.

"But what?"

"I know this is going to sound stupid- probably because it is," Mataras said ruefully. "But I want them to look at me as the Red Swordsman for as long as I can maintain the image."

"Who said it was an image?" Gildarts said as he stared into the depths of his mug. "I know a warrior when I see one. Your father was a fighter, too. He held out the longest while he was on my operating table, you know. Before we put him under, he told me that he'd be up in no time so that he could hug you and your sister goodnight."

Mataras said nothing for a long, long moment. Despite the noise of the festivities around them, the space between them seemed incredibly quiet. When he did speak again, he asked, "How long do I have?"

"Until what?" Gildarts asked carefully.

"Until I have to hang up my blade," Mataras replied without looking at him.

Gildarts chuckled at his choice of words before getting serious. "Optimistically, your doctors say you'll be able to keep up normal activities for the next four months or so. But after that, it's all downhill."

Mataras nodded and said, "I appreciate you telling me this, Gildarts."

"Hey, when you tracked me down and told me who you were- one of the kids that survived that awful crash- how could I turn you down?" Gildarts grinned at his young companion, who grinned right back. "It's been a pleasure getting to know you and Michael."

"Likewise, Doctor," Mataras nodded in respect.

"So when are you gonna tell 'em?" Gildarts asked. "The sooner, the better."

"I'll tell them after finals are over," Mataras decided. "Their education has been interrupted enough as it is."

"Can you keep it a secret that long?" Mataras burst into laughter at Gildart's question. "What?!" the older man asked.

"You're talking to a guy who hid a unique skill from some six thousand people for two years," he chuckled. "This'll be a cakewalk." _I hope,_ he added silently as he knocked back his drink. He clenched his fist reflexively, though it did nothing for his actual hand. _I can already feel the pain beginning to build in my limbs… It won't be long now, Victoria._

* * *

The mighty Red Swordsman of Aincrad, the Fire Dragon Slayer of Fiore, the brother of Kirito, Asuna, and Sachi was fading. He had already accepted it in his heart, and in some ways, it brought him peace, knowing that the end of his journey was near. But he also knew that it was going to shatter his family.

So he put on a smile and went back to his sister, wanting to enjoy this fairy tale just a little longer. As the night wore on, he kept on celebrating- not a mask, but with true happiness that he had this time to spend with the people dearest to him.

* * *

Near the end of the party, Kirito approached Mataras and clunked mugs with him. "That was pretty clever, I gotta hand it to ya," he grinned. "We never would've suspected that Sachi would be the one shooting for the S-Class position."

"Ha," Mataras chuckled tiredly. Parties always took it out of him, and his condition wasn't helping things either. "Well, I always was the smart one out of the four of us."

"I always thought Litrosh was the brains behind the operation," Kirito sniggered.

Mataras raised his mug in acknowledgement of the verbal score and said, "Touché." He finished his drink and wiped his mouth, satisfied with the day's work.

"So, why'd you do it?" Kirito asked as he took a seat across from his brother.

"Eh?" Mataras said blankly.

"Why'd you train with Laxus and Cobra?" Kirito asked. "You said you'd tell us after the tournament was over. Well, I think it's over."

"Ah, yes," Mataras said as he rubbed his eyes. "Well, here's the deal with Laxus. As I explained before, we used to be good friends in the past. When I tracked him down after he left Fairy Tail, I asked him to help me get trained up for the tournament in the spirit of that past friendship, to which he agreed.

"Cobra was another matter. When I tracked him down with Laxus' help, he tried to avoid me until I beat him into the ground and told him that he would either listen to what I had to say, or I'd the cops banging on his front door by the next day on the grounds that he was the true leader of Laughing Coffin. I couldn't believe he bought it, but the bluff worked."

"I thought Sachi said you didn't know how to bluff," Kirito grinned.

"You wanna hear the rest or not?" Mataras said testily. When Kirito nodded, he continued on to say, "I told him that there was something in this world that I needed to fight for, something that was just as important as my own life. If he helped me attain my goal, I would call the score even between us."

"And he agreed?" Kirito asked.

"Aye," Mataras nodded. "And I'm glad that they did, too."

"Was this tournament really that important to you, though?" Kirito pressed. "I mean, I know better than to say that this all just a game, but you know there's always next time. Even if you had lost this round, you could have won another day."

"Somehow I doubt it," Mataras said cryptically as he pulled open his menu. "I'm tired, Kirito. I'll see you tomorrow." Before Kirito could say anything else, Mataras logged out, disappearing in a flash of light.

"What was that all about?" Leafa asked as she and Asuna approached the table and sat down.

"I dunno," Kirito shrugged. "He just seemed exhausted. Probably ended up pulling too many all-nighters in a row."

"And he does get pretty cranky when he's sleep deprived," Leafa giggled. "But other than that, he's a sweetheart." Asuna and Kirito both unsuccessfully tried to stifle their fits of laughter at the statement, causing Leafa to redden and say, "Hey! It's true!"

"I don't doubt it, Leafa," Asuna giggled. "But I also have a hard time picturing Mataras being sweet and caring."

"Eh, he was always pretty nice to Sachi," Kirito said, his shoulders still shaking a bit. "At least, that's what she says. I never really saw it."

"You know, you tend to miss a lot of things that are painfully obvious to everyone else," Asuna said with her eyes rolled. "If I'd been around more often, perhaps I'd have seen it."

"That's just cold," Kirito complained.

* * *

Michael reached up and removed the Amusphere from his head carefully, his limbs all aching in protest. It was getting worse especially in his hands, he noticed. Not to mention the overwhelming fatigue…

He sat up blearily, head swaying from side to side. _Blast this,_ he thought angrily. It wasn't the approach of the Grim Reaper that bothered him so much, no. It was the fact that his very body seemed to have turned against him, betraying his will to move as he commanded it.

 _Perhaps this is the price of the ultimate freedom in the most binding of prisons,_ he thought as he went to go get a drink before he would go to sleep. A wry smile twisted his face as he thought, _It would have a certain irony… The very blood that granted me free movement now binds me more tightly than any system ever could._

* * *

 **Kirito: Uh... What?**

 **Mataras: What is it?**

 **Kirito: I don't get it- where'd this come from?! You're gonna _die?!_**

 **Mataras: Probably. Not IRL, though, don't worry. Just in the story.**

 **Kirito: But-? what-? how-? why-? _What the crap is going on?!_**

 **Mataras: Do I have to spell everything out, I- Ugh... Ever heard of bone cancer?**

 **Kirito: Yeah...**

 **Mataras: There you have it.**

 **Kirito: Wow. That's a pretty bad way to go out.**

 **Mataras: Unfortunately... I'd always pictured myself going down with a sword in my hand...**

 **Kirito: Wait, so what happens after next chapter?**

 **Mataras: I'll get to that in the final omake of the Red Swordsman: Slayer of Aincrad.**

 **Kirito: Next time, for the series finale: Remember Me.**


	33. Remember Me

**A/N: All right, everyone. You what time it is. Time for another adventure to come to an end. But of course, this means that it shall only make room for another epic to take its place. I hope you'll all join me as I revive Star Sword in Return to the Stars, and when we all return to the adventures of the Red Swordsman in Shattered Fragment. This has been a joy and a privilege to write, and I thank all of you for sticking with me through my ups and downs. Now, let us complete this story together.**

* * *

Remember Me

Kazuto Kirigaya had a huge grin on his face as he stretched his muscles on the beach chair that he had claimed. He was in the backyard of Michael's home, where he and the others planned to spend their first day of summer vacation. On the chair next to him, Michael was dozing quietly, something that had become more and more of a habit for him lately. But on a day like today, Kazuto couldn't really blame him. The sun was warm, the sky was clear, and the pool could wait for later.

"Hey, bro!" Suguha called as she approached Kazuto, dressed in a one-piece bathing suit. "I thought you'd be in the water by now."

"I thought so, too, but on a day like this, I gotta enjoy the sun a little longer," he grinned.

"Hey, is Michael sleeping?" she asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Kazuto asked, looking over at the other boy, who was breathing quietly without a sound. "Well, yeah, but I don't think he's been asleep for too long. Why? What's up?"

"He just…" Suguha frowned. "He seems to be doing that a lot lately. And is he losing weight?" She stepped closer to her boyfriend to examine him more closely.

"Y'know, he wasn't exactly a big guy to begin with," Kazuto grinned. "I think you're just imagining things."

"Really?" Suguha's voice was different now. Not angry, but a little sharper than before. "Then what's this?" She pointed at his ribcage, which now that Kazuto paid attention to, was actually somewhat sticking out.

"Okay, that's not right," he frowned as he sat up straight. "I said he was slim, but he always had a good build- now he's just… skinny."

"Maybe he hasn't been eating well?" Suguha suggested.

"Well yeah, if you're the one that's been feeding him- ack!" His insult was cut as Suguha thumped him with her pool bag and into the water. He came back quickly, sputtering and coughing. "Low blow, Sis…" he complained. Then he looked around. "This is a nice temperature, though. I think Michael's got this thing heated."

"Hmph," she said, ignoring him and returning her attention to Michael's sleeping face. The lines in his cheekbones seemed a little more pronounced than usual, she thought, and he seemed a little pale, even for him.

"Uh… what're you doing?" Asuna's voice startled Suguha so badly that she too, nearly fell in the pool.

"N-Nothing!" she exclaimed, turning red.

"Really?" Asuna grinned as she put her bag down and put a hand on her hip. "To quote Mataras, the blood in your face says otherwise."

"I-It's not like that!" Suguha protested.

"My sister's a creeper," Kazuto grinned as he floated lazily in the pool.

"I am not!" she shouted.

"Why is everyone yelling?" Sayuri asked as she walked up to the scene.

"Sugu's the only one that's yelling," Kazuto said helpfully, and was rewarded with beach ball to his face from his sister.

"Is everything okay?" Sayuri asked calmly.

"Kazuto's just being a jerk," Suguha huffed. "I was worried about Michael, and he didn't really seem to care."

"Why, what's wrong with Mataras?" Sayuri asked as she moved to her brother's side, concern written on her face. "Huh… you're right, he doesn't look well."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Asuna asked as she moved to crowd around the boy with the other girls. "I don't see anything wrong with him."

"No, look closely," Sayuri said as she peered closely at Michael's face. "He's losing weight, I can tell. His face is sunk in a bit… And come to think of it, he's been sleeping a lot lately."

"That's what I thought," Suguha said with a frown. "Kazuto just seemed to think that he hasn't been eating right."

"That doesn't sound like him," Asuna said with a shake of her head. "Other than Kirito, I can't think of anyone who eats more than him."

"Then how is he so skinny?" Suguha asked as she poked his ribs lightly.

"Good genetics?" Sayuri suggested. "That's what he always told me."

"You're all missing something pretty big here," Kazuto said from behind them, still in the pool. "How come he hasn't woken up yet?"

"Huh?" Asuna and Suguha were at a loss for what he meant.

But Sayuri understood what he meant, and she put her chin on her hand. "No, he's got a point…" She looked back at Michael, who still hadn't stirred. "He's always been a light sleeper, and ay amount of provocation wakes him up. So why hasn't all the yelling and poking woken him up yet?"

"Huh…" Asuna mused. "Maybe he's coming down with something?"

"Let's take him inside and get him some soup," Suguha suggested, to which the other girls agreed.

"But I just got in here!" Kazuto complained. The girls ignored him and proceeded to start jabbing at Michael's face, trying to wake him up. When that failed to do anything other than make him mutter something unintelligible, they decided that they'd have to do things the hard way.

"I'll do it," Sayuri sighed. "Mataras!" she said sharply. "Wake up!" And she slapped him across the face, causing him to yelp and jerk awake to immediately cup his cheek.

"Oei!" he snapped angrily. "That really hurt!"

Sayuri backed up in alarm, as did the others, surprised at the venom in his voice. Kazuto frowned as he finished toweling himself off- something was definitely off now, he knew. "Michael, calm down," he said. "She didn't hit you that hard, and they tried everything else to get you awake. Save throwing you in the pool."

"Rrgh…" he groaned, still holding his face as he sat up and planted his feet on the ground. "Ach…" he grunted as he stood, bringing worry to everyone's eyes. "It's too much today…" Michael was definitely off of his game today, they all thought.

"What's too much?" Sayuri asked him worriedly. "What's wrong, brother?"

"The fire in my bones begins to hunger for my flesh," he grunted cryptically as he took his hands down to reveal a sizeable purple bruise on his jaw.

"Oh my goodness!" Sayuri gasped. "I didn't think I hit him that hard!"

"You didn't," Michael sighed. "I just bruise very easily now."

"Huh?!" Kazuto said. "That doesn't make any sense! You and I hit each other way harder than that in practice, and you've never complained!"

"Tell me, Brother," Michael grunted as he made his way towards the back door, slowly, obvious pain in his movements. "When was the last time we sparred in the real world?"

"Well, uh…" Kazuto blanked. "Wait, when _was_ the last time?"

"Not since February, I don't think," Suguha said with a frown. "Why'd you stop?"

"Michael said he was too busy with his writing and that I should focus more on school," Kazuto shrugged. "I didn't think much about it cos he was right. Why?"

"Michael, how long were you planning on keeping from us that you weren't feeling well?" Suguha demanded as she whirled to face Michael, who stopped at the door to his house.

When he turned to face them all over his shoulder, he sighed heavily and said, "Not feeling well is a gross understatement."

"What do you mean?" Sayuri asked, feeling fear clench her gut tightly, afraid of the answer she would receive.

Michael turned all the way around to face his family and bent over to point at his left leg. "Look here," he said as he gestured to a few red spots on his skin. "Do any of you know what those are?"

"Not really, no," Asuna said cautiously. Michael straightened and walked back to them to sit down heavily on the chair he had been on a moment ago. "Sit down, all of you," he said firmly. They complied, the fear in their hearts growing.

When they were all settled, he looked them all in the eye as much as he could and said, "I hope you can all forgive me after this, but… I'll be hanging up my sword soon. In a few weeks, and the Red Swordsman will be no more."

"Why not?" Kazuto asked to break the deafening silence.

"Because I will be no more," Michael said flatly. "It'll only be a couple more months before the cancer claims my life." When they all began to talk at once, he snapped, "Quiet!" when they had complied, he continued on to say, "I already asked about Chemotherapy. The doctors said it would only speed up the process with how long the cancer's been in my body."

"How?" Sayuri asked, tears in her eyes. "I don't…"

"It started during our time in Aincrad," he replied to answer her question. "The staff was so concerned with monitoring our brain activities and muscle deterioration, they paid very little attention to our bloodwork and the like. So by the time I began to recognize the symptoms I was experiencing, it was too late."

"Too late…?" Suguha repeated, not wanting to believe her ears.

"I am going to die," he said, in the simplest way to deliver the news that he knew how. "I have two months, maybe only one. It started as bone cancer, but then it progressed to leukemia. I was going to tell you after dinner tonight, but…" He waved a hand in dismissal. "Well, now you know."

"But why?!" The cry was torn from Sayuri, who was shaking violently. "Why did this have to happen?! Why you?!"

"Because all things end, and not one goes when they truly want to," Michael answered, sounding tired. "I don't know why the time is drawing so close, but it is, and I will not fight it."

"How could you?!" Asuna shouted, sounding angry. Michael looked up at her with bleary eyes as she stood up and shouted, "You're not going to fight?! Are we not worth it?!"

"There's no point in trying to fight my own flesh and blood when it has decided to surrender to the clutches of the Grim Reaper," Michael replied flatly. "My soul has no say in this matter."

"But… but…" Suguha gasped.

"Don't cry yet, please…" Michael said, swaying dizzily with pain. "I'm not leaving you yet… We still have some time." When all the girls did was begin to cry even harder, and Kazuto looked at him dumbly, Michael sighed and said, "All of you… listen." When they managed to stifle their sobs somewhat, he said, "I never thought that I would get another chance like this… To have a family as amazing as all of you…" He sagged, and Kazuto caught him up and set him back on the chair. He thanked his brother, took a deep breath, and then continued, "I'm not as strong as I wanted everyone to think I was. In fact, it was all of you that kept me standing, fighting, winning. You are all my strength, not the other way around… And no matter what, you'll always have one another. So please, let me be strong a little longer. Don't be sad yet…"

"But we are sad!" Sayuri sobbed as she shot forward and buried her face in his lean shoulder while wrapping her arms around his thin back. "You're our brother and our friend, and no matter what anyone says, you were the greatest of us all! So don't ask us not to be sad, how can we not be?! We love you!" She collapsed into heaving, wracking sobs that forced Michael to put his arms around his sister, even as the tears began to fall from his own face. The others gathered around him, careful not to hurt him as they gathered in a group embrace.

"I'm not… done yet," he said, his voice weak, but his tone strong. "I still have time. And every moment that I'm in this world is going to be spent with all of you."

* * *

The following months were both amazing and painful for the Moonlit Black Cats. Michael took them on several vacations throughout Japan, and even managed to squeeze in a short trip to the United States, the place of his birth. He showed them where he had grown up, a good-sized house in a quiet neighborhood.

They conquered multiple floors of New Aincrad together, reaching all the way to the twenty-fifth floor. They kept the news from the other members of Fairy Tail at Michael's request, as he did not want to draw their pity towards himself. He wanted his final days to be remembered as adventurous, just like in the olden days of the original Aincrad.

His avatar remained strong and healthy, but his body was still deteriorating rapidly. And he was in so much pain some days that he simply dove into the virtual world to escape the sensation of his body being torn apart from within.

Eventually, after about five weeks of trying to survive on his own, he was forced to be hospitalized because of how weak his body was. Suguha, Kirito, Asuna, and Sayuri came to visit him every day, sometimes bringing along Ryoutarou and Andrew. Even Keiko came to see him on one occasion. They were all shocked at how pale and emaciated their friend had become. He was far cry from the mighty Red Swordsman and Fire Dragon Slayer that they knew. He almost looked like they had when they had first been released from Sword Art Online.

* * *

One day, Suguha came in to visit ahead of the others. She spent some time talking with her boyfriend, and simply holding his hand. But eventually, she decided that it was time to be bold and tried to kiss him on the mouth, only to have him turn at the last second so that the kiss landed on his cheek.

"Wha-?" she said, not understanding. "What're you doing?"

"I don't want to take your first kiss," he said as he looked back at her with evident pain in his eyes- though not physical, but emotional. "That should be saved for someone that can be there for you longer and better than I have. I don't deserve such a special gift from you."

"But it's my gift to give," she protested, and he smiled at her.

"A gift must be unwrapped before it is accepted," he said quietly. "I love you, Sugu. You helped me through so much, and I don't want to tarnish what we have. I'd rather it stay the way it is until the end."

She opened and closed her mouth several times without a sound before she finally bowed her head and said, "If that's what you really want…"

"I'm sorry if I upset you," he said as he squeezed her hand gently- though at this point, it was basically all he could muster. "But I believe in this firmly."

"Okay," she said as she fought back tears. "And Michael…"

"Yes?" he asked.

"I love you too."

* * *

A few more weeks passed and Michael continued to waste away, though at this point he seemed angrier that he was becoming an invalid than the fact that he was dying. As the end drew nearer, he made sure that he updated his will so that his house would go to Kazuto, and eventually Asuna, pending their marriage to one another. He also split his fortune between the Black Cats in equal portions on the condition that they use it to finish school before anything else. Lastly, he set up a gift for each of his friends in the virtual world, only to be opened after he was gone.

* * *

The time came sooner than they had hoped, though. On a Friday morning, when they arrived for their daily visit, the Black Cats were surprised to see Michael already awake- usually they had to wake him up for their visits. He looked at them with glassy eyes and said in a weak voice, "It is time."

The girls immediately began to cry, and Kazuto bowed his head. Michael said with a little more strength in his voice, "Come on… Let's make one last dive." Once they had collected themselves, they got the staff to lend them a set of amuspheres so that they could dive in while Michael got his own set on.

Once they were all ready, they all said the immortal words, "Link, start!"

* * *

Mataras and the others all appeared in New Aincrad, at Kirito and Asuna's home on the twenty-second floor. "Is this place okay?" Asuna asked while fighting back tears.

"It's good, but…" Mataras grinned. "How about where we first met, eh?"

"Floor one?" Kirito asked.

"Aye," Mataras nodded. He walked out the door and said, "Come on! We don't have much time!" And they all took off running, straight towards the portal that would take them to the town on the first floor where the adventures of the New Black Cats had begun, though they didn't know that they would be called as such at them time.

* * *

When they arrived, Mataras and his friends made a dash for the meeting place that Diabel had gathered the first boss assault party together. "Here," Mataras breathed. "This is where it all began…"

"Heh," Kirito grinned as he remembered the day. Off to the side, Asuna was doing something with her menu, but Mataras didn't seem to notice. "Hard to believe that three different recluses would form the strongest guild in Aincrad," Kirito commented.

"Aye," Mataras nodded as he too, reflected on the day. Suddenly, he collapsed like a puppet whose strings have been cut, only managing to avoid hitting the ground because Sachi caught him up. She lowered him gently to the ground while cradling his head in her lap.

"They're on their way," Asuna said to Kirito, who nodded.

"Let's hope they make it in time," he said as he gazed at his brother with worry.

"They will," Leafa said as she knelt beside the fallen warrior. "I know it."

"What are you going on about?" Mataras asked, confused.

"We know you didn't want anyone to know, but…" Asuna paused.

"But we wanted to give everyone a chance to say goodbye, too," Sachi said quietly. "Sorry…"

"Everybody?" Mataras asked warily.

"Everybody," Jellal said as he and then entirety of Fairy Tail appeared in the stands of the arena. "Teleportation magic," he said by way of explanation as he knelt beside his former master and friend.

"Why…?" he grunted.

"We're gonna give you a proper Fairy Tail send-off," Recon said as he stood closer to the family group. "That okay?"

"If you must…" the dying boy said in defeat.

"Very well, then," Makarov said as he stood by Mataras' side. "Since you're leaving Fairy Tail, you must swear to follow these three rules. Number one: never share any sensitive information about the guild for as long as you live."

"Number two," Jellal added. "You must never contact any clients that you worked for with the guild for your own personal gain."

"And number three," Kirito said. "Although our paths must stray, you have to promise to live the rest of your life to the fullest."

"That means you must treat every day in this world like it was gonna be your last," Yui sobbed.

"Don't forget the friends you loved," Asuna sniffled.

"You must treasure them for as long as you live," Suguha finished with tears running down her face.

Mataras closed his eyes, then allowed a huge smile to break out on his face. Seeing this, Sachi asked, "Did you get all of that, Brother?"

"I did," he nodded. "Now help me stand." With his sister's help, he stood up, breathing hard as he did. Once he was upright, he took his arm off of her shoulders and stood up straight. Facing Fairy Tail, he said, "Thank you, everyone. I only wish that I could have had more time with each of you."

"We'll remember you always," Gildarts assured him.

"Then… I want you to remember me like _this_ …" Mataras said, wobbling slightly, but straightening himself quickly. He took a ready stance, and everyone looked at him curiously, wondering what he was up to. "With my last breath," he said as flames began to envelop him, "I honor Fairy Tail and the Moonlit Black Cats."

Before anyone could ask what he meant, he shouted, " _Dragon Slayer…! Secret Art!_ " the flames began to burn even fiercer, forcing everyone to back away from him.

"What are you doing?!" Sachi cried out, but Kirito held her back.

"He's going out as a warrior," the Black Swordsman said with understanding. "Let him go, Sachi. It's what he wants." And so they watched as he let his flames reach their peak power.

" _Crimson Lotus…_ " he grunted. " _PHOENIX SWORD!_ " With a sudden burst of strength, he launched himself into the sky, flying like the fierce dragon they all knew him to be. As he flew, he left a trail of flames in his wake that seemed random at first, but when he was done, the all recognized the shape of the Fairy Tail emblem. With the last of his waning power, he carved a crescent moon that seemed to embrace the emblem of his current guild.

As one, all of Fairy Tail raised their right hands to the sky, thumb and pointer fingers extended, their personal salute to their members, and the promise that no matter how far they went, they would always be watching over them.

Then Mataras landed back on the ground, his flames depleted. He stood tall and proud with a grin on his face. He looked around to see his friends and family- even the Thunder Legion was present for this occasion, and they nodded their heads in respect to their old friend. He bowed to all of them as a mark of gratitude and respect.

Mataras straightened himself and looked to the sky, where the sun of Aincrad was now visible. He reached out his hand to its warm glow, then seemed to grip something that none of the others could see. Well, all but Sachi.

Mataras was gripping the hand of a young girl with soft brown hair and sparkling hazel eyes alight with light and gentle warmth. This, she knew, was Victoria. She had come to bring her brother home. As if on cue, the girl said in a gentle voice, "Come home, Brother. Everyone is waiting for you." And they both began to fade from sight. Sachi's eyes blurred with tears as she realized that this was truly the end of the Red Swordsman.

But before Mataras vanished completely, he said, "I'll be seeing you soon enough. Until then, grow… and live." Then he was gone, completely and utterly.

* * *

That night, the Moonlit Black Cats all decide to open their gifts together. First was Kirito, who was surprised to see a fully upgraded Guilty Thorn in his package. Along with it was a note that read, 'Brother, I want you to take this blade n remembrance of me. Remember all of the times we shared together with this sword in my hand. All of it the good and bad, for it is what made us the people we are today. Farewell, and may the sword serve you well.'

Immediately, the boy replaces his blue sword with red one, tears shining in his eyes while his girlfriend rubbed his back soothingly. As she did, Yui- who was in her human form- opened her present to find a red crystal, and a note underneath it.

This one said, 'I know how much you always wanted to help your parents, Yui. That's why in this crystal, I have stored all of my Dragon Slayer skills and spells to be passed on to you. You need only activate it once, and you will be able to use every move I could. I don't know if this includes the Shadow Flame Dragon mode, but you're welcome to try. I hope that this helps you reach your goal, little one. Grow strong, and may you always bring joy to those around you.' Now it was her turn to cry in remembrance of her uncle, though she tried to keep her chin up and no cry too hard, just like she was sure he would want her to.

Suguha was next, and she found a golden zodiac key that was wrapped in a black snake. Her note read, 'This is the gate key to the thirteenth zodiac spirit, Ophiuchus. Arguably the most powerful zodiac spirit in Inner Magic Online, I went through great lengths to obtain it. I hope she serves you well in your adventures to come. I love you, now and until my dying breath.' She smiled despite her tears and kissed the gate key as she whispered, "I love you too."

Next was Asuna, who trembled slightly as she opened her gift. Inside was a beautiful rapier, not unfamiliar to Asuna. In fact, it was the very sword she'd had when Aincrad came crashing down, the Lambent Light. Although, when she drew it from its sheath, she saw that the blade was black, so she read her note for an explanation. 'Dear Asuna,' it read. 'I had Lisbeth make this sword especially for you. It's not the Lambent Light, though it is just as serviceable. We decided to call it the Deep Shadow, and I hope that it keeps you safe in the future. Not to mention it goes great with Kirito's color theme.' As she put the note down, they could all almost see his grinning face as he spoke to them through the message.

Second-to-last to open his gift was Jellal, who was surprised to find an orange egg within his box. Inside, he found a brief note that read, 'Care for this little one as I did for you. In fact, I have no doubt that you'll raise him even better than I ever did.' The blue-haired man stroked the egg softly, tears pooling in his own eyes as he beheld the gift bestowed to him.

Finally was Sachi. She almost didn't want to open it, seeing the reactions that her family had, but she finally opened the gift. She was surprised to see that there was only a blue recording crystal within it, and no note to explain it. She took a deep breath and tapped the 'play' button.

"Hello, Sachi," Mataras' voice said from within the item. "If you are hearing this, then I have passed on. I made this as soon as I found out that I was terminal, while I was still strong and healthy enough to speak my mind without it being clouded by the pain. I remembered how you once left me a message like this, so I figured it was time to return the favor.

"Where to begin? I suppose at the beginning- it only makes sense. I wanted to die when I lost Victoria- the idea of ending my own life consumed me, but for some reason, I never went through with it. Now I understand why that was- it was so that I could meet you, and become someone that my family could be proud of. I think I have, and so when it is my time, I can go to them with no regrets in my heart.

"I know that there will be a time of hurting for you and our family, but don't let this stop you. Let it mold you into an even stronger person than I know you are by now. If you look back, every defeat we suffered, we survived and grew stronger because of it. We became different people as we lived out our lives, which is not a bad thing. No, we kept on moving, keeping in mind who we used to be, so that we could continue to grow into who we are now.

"I will not forget one adventure that we shared in, even unto the end. I will not forget one moment I spent with you, dearest sister of mine. I will always remember when the Red Swordsman fought for his loved ones, and when they fought for him.

"I look forward to the day when we reunite- though I hope that for your sake, it's not anytime soon. And now… Farewell. I love you." The crystal ceased floating and landed in Sachi's hands, where she cradled it as though it might shatter if she let it go.

"I…" she sobbed. "I love you too, brother… I'll miss you. But I promise… I'll live for you as long as I can. And I'll make sure that the others do, too." Around the room, they all nodded in agreement, making a silent vow to heed their brother's final wish.

* * *

Up above, in a place untouched by mortal men, Michael looked down with a smile on his face. "I look forward to watching you all grow into the greatest of warriors and people," he said.

"I'm sure they will," Victoria said with her own smile. "After all, they had you to look up to."

"I'm not sure if I'm the ideal role model, but I did my best," he chuckled.

"Come on," his sister said as she took his hand in her own. "Mom and Dad are waiting for you! I'm sure they'll want to hear all about your adventures!"

"A tale I look forward to reliving," he laughed as he let her pull him along. As she did, only one thought echoed through his mind. _I'm finally home, where I belong._

* * *

 **A/N: Wow, that was hard to write. Not gonna lie, some tears were shed. It's hard to kill off a character that you've been with for more than eight years, you know. But, for the sake of catharsis, it had to happen.**

 **Something I think all of you should know, though I've spoken about this in private to some people already- every single chapter I've written that has Mataras in it carries a piece of my own life's experience. I do this because I want to invest in my stories on the deepest personal level as so people can experience the pain and joy that I felt while going through those times. Even this last chapter carries a lot of personal grief for me, seeing as I lost man whom I considered a surrogate grandfather figure to cancer a few years ago. The pain of that event is still with me, and I wanted to make sure that my characters experienced that same agony so that they could be more real.**

 **It takes personal sacrifice and exposure to truly become a great writer- at least, that's what I believe. If you don't put some of yourself into each story you write, then your characters become bland and flat. That is why I hold nothing back- readers only deserve the best I can offer, and nothing less than that.**

 **Once again, it's been a privilege to write and grow as a writer alongside all of you.**

 **Until the next story, this is the Red swordsman Mataras signing off.**

* * *

 **Special thanks go to Triforce Hero, both for being the first person to read and review for this story, and for being a friend that sends me encouragement when I'm feeling down, and applauding my better works. Thank you again for your service to our country, and I'll have that one-shot done very soon.**

 **Next on this list is the ever-present Legendary Zoroark, my most loyal-and I'm pretty sure enthusiastic- reader and reviewer. (Seriously, he's read everything I've put up and had lots to say, which is awesome). Also, he provided the backstory for Keni/Cobra, which was much-needed, as we cannot have the Red Swordsman without some Laughing Coffin members to thrash, I think.**

 **Also, I am happy to give credit to Naruto Sakura Uzumaki for creating the OC Brandon, Mataras' friendly rival for this story. I appreciate the effort that he put into making the light-wielder, and the comments that he left with every chapter.**

 **Of course, I also can't forget the Northern Warrior for offering his friendship and advice for the last year. I know you're excited to see what happens in Star Sword II, and trust me, it's gonna be awesome.**

 **Tiche Potato also deserves recognition for being a loyal reader and reviewer, not to mention making me laugh with multiple reviews... I really need those sometimes, so thank you!**

 **To 553Colinm, Swordofthegods, GoldenCyclone4, moshe30530redstar, kingdom hearts guy, metalican slayer, Joeclone, Guardian of Light Lightus, Marcus Cersy A.K.A. Ion Gree, the Silent Swordsman, and all those that didn't have anything to say, but kept coming back to read more, I say thank you, and I hope to see you all again very soon.**

* * *

 **Litrosh/Jellal: And now for my least favorite part of these adventures.**

 **Mataras: Believe me, I hate goodbyes as well, but it's better than not saying anything to acknowledge everyone that stayed with us. They deserve a proper farewell, so let's give it to them.**

 **Yui: Thank you everyone! I'll miss you!**

 **Suguha: We enjoyed being part of your life, even if it was only for a little while!**

 **Litrosh/Jellal: Farewell, companions. Until our next adventure together.**

 **Kirito: Now, since this is the end of our Fairy Tail crossover, and this is the last time we get to talk to everyone, everyone has to promise to follow three rules.**

 **Asuna: Number one- You must never, ever stop enjoying the stories that others work so hard to create.**

 **Sachi: Number two- Never forget that there people in your life who love and care for you, and that you should be there for them in return.**

 **Mataras: And number three- Although we may eventually take separate paths, never forget the stories that we shared in together. You must remember the adventures in which we all took part in. Treasure them as long as you live.**


End file.
